MERCY: One Shots
by Emiko-Kiichigo101
Summary: Just a collection of one shots and lemons, branching off of MERCY.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

STEVE & STARSCREAM

MERCY

Chapter 8.2

"Ah! Steve!" Starscream called out when his back hit the corridor wall. "S-slow down…. Wait until we get to your room. Anyone can see and hear us here."

"I can't help it Commander." The drone heaved as he groped and caressed Starscream's frame in the spots he knew the second in command was most sensitive. "I haven't had the chance to touch you in weeks. I feel like I'm having withdrawals." Steve always knew exactly what to say to Starscream to get away with doing so much to him. Their affair had started even before Megatron had returned to Earth with the dark energon. Starscream was a seeker after all, and seekers were notorious attention grabbers. It was hardwired in their programing to be lavished and treated adoringly, and that's why a lot of them developed groups of trines. Starscream had a trine for a while until the war separated them, and for the longest time, to console himself with this loss, he would occasionally turn to Megatron for solace. This worked for both of them for a time. Starscream would get the attention he needed to keep his programing in his CPU running healthy, and Megatron would receive some much-needed release from his stresses as a leader.

But even before Megatron left Nemesis he had started to neglect Starscream and his needs, and as the seeker's frustration grew, he nearly became desperate enough to ask Soundwave, of all mechs, to help him find relief. It was purely a chance encounter that he ended up in Steve's arms. The second in command, at the time, hadn't been touched in nearly half a year. That was too long for a seeker to go without interfacing with a partner. He became so agitated he tried to relieve himself in the back of an energon store room one day. His frame was so hot that his cooling vents nearly backfired from the stress of over working, and the moment he leaned back on a crate to franticly stroke his spike, Steve walked in and caught him in the act. The Vehicon immediately backed away with anxious apologies and fear for being disciplined for unintentionally barging in on a private moment (even if it was public). Instead, to the devoted drone's shock, Starscream called him over. He begged, he pleaded, and he reached out for Steve to stay, and he never forgot the exact words the desperate seeker said to him that day. _'Please don't leave…. I n-need your touch….'_

It was like a dream come true. Steve had already been obsessed with his commander for the longest time, and he had even fantasized of the day he would have the privilege to even glance at Starscream's fully exposed frame…. So he took full advantage and did well to please his higher up. Ever since that day, Steve had always been Starscream's go to, and today he really needed him. He was on the most wicked heat cycle he had experienced in a long time and on top of his seeker programing the heat was burning him up from the inside out. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he enjoyed the way Steve was rushing to touch him. His eagerness always made the seeker feel special, but he still needed more that moment. Privacy be damned, he needed to be ravished more.

"M-mask…." He mumbled feverishly as his clawed servos clenched around Steve's back. "Your…. Mask. Ah! T-take it off…." Breathlessly, Starscream slipped his servos up the drones' shoulders and neck until they rested on both sides of his helm. Then when he met his lovers gaze, he mouthed hotly under half glazed optics, "I want your lip-plates on me…. I need all of you…. Please Steve."

Taking his mask off in the middle of the ships halls was risky for a drone, but he couldn't deny his urges when Starscream begged him like that. In one swift motion he removed his battle visor and dropped it next to his pedes. He wasted no time kissing his commander and lavished the sweet taste of his oral cavity.

"Mmm…." Starscream moaned before the kiss was broken, and Steve quickly started licking and nipping down the seeker's chin and neck cables. "Yes! Just like that!" He couldn't control his vocalizer and he didn't care. Starscream was so deep in his heat cycle that every ministration drew him closer and closer to the edge of heaven. His panels instantly slid open when Steve's servo slid under the seam on his chassis to tease more sensitive wires. The drone knew they were the most tender there. The seeker desperately wanted to scream. Part of him even needed it but he swallowed hard and braced himself against his attentive lovers' body.

"I should've waited until we got back to my room like you wanted Commander." Steve said through well placed bites. "I want to hear you call out for me so much. I love it when you beg."

The second in command shivered under Steve when the drone's spike panel flew open and pressurized fully. The length of his erect member glided momentarily outside of Starscream's heavily lubricated valve. "But try not to shout." He wriggled his hips before thrusting harshly into Starscream's valve. "Uhn! B-because I can't hold back anymore…."

"S-slag! Steve!" Starscream had to bite down on his servo between his thumb and index digit. His dental plates pushed down so hard he drew energon. Steve was coherent enough to pull the leaking servo away.

"Careful Commander." The Vehicon kissed the bleeding appendage and revved his engines when Starscream's helm lurched in ecstasy. "Don't hurt yourself like that." He leaned forward to whisper into his lover's audios. "You know you are precious to me."

"OH!" Starscream was already too close to his first overload before they met for a tryst, and as soon as Steve told him everything he wanted to hear, he climaxed with intensity. More often than not, when Starscream was on a strong heat cycle like this one, all Steve really had to do was stroke the commander's ego. Which he was more than happy to do so.

"Oh…. Commander…." Steve shuddered as Starscream's convulsing frame shook beneath him. "You are so beautiful."

"Hurry up and overload…." The seeker whimpered through the last waves of his orgasm. "I'm already building another charge. We shouldn't have done this out in the open. What if Megatron—Oomph!"

Steve kissed him aggressively at first, but slowly calmed himself so he could savor the moment longer. His glossa swirled smoothly around his commanders' and he moaned happily when Starscream pulled him closer. However, Steve could still feel a little tension in the center of the seeker's back struts. He didn't want to create more stress for his beloved, but he wasn't as close to his overload as Starscream wanted him to be, and his room was still an entire two hall lengths away…. But there was an energon store room next to the mess hall. If he was quick and he kept Starscream quite he could reach the store room in two minutes without being caught.

"Hold onto me Commander." Steve broke the kiss and smiled egotistically when Starscream whined from the lack of contact. "I'm going to carry you somewhere private…. Hopefully."

"H-hurry Steve." Starscream's spike was rapidly pressurizing a second time. "The heat is becoming unbearable again."

The Vehicon didn't even bother pulling out. He just wrapped the seeker's legs around his waist and his arms over his shoulders. Then he sprinted as fast as he could, careful not to slip over any leaking fluids on the floor. They were both extremely lucky that it was the end of the mid-day shift, and almost everyone had received their rations earlier and went back to their rooms or stations. The halls were clear, and the store room was lifeless. The second he realized there was no one to be seen, he locked the door behind him, and gently placed Starscream on his back over a random stock crate. It was cold in the room, which made the seeker feel more comfortable. Steam accumulated off his hot body, and it had engulfed Steve in a thick haze. It was intoxicating, and he could hardly hold his enthusiasm. The drone rapidly gyrated and bucked his hips. The friction was so welcomed that Starscream met every thrust with his own, crying out Steve's name like it was as sacred as Primus himself.

"Steve!" The seeker didn't even realize he was in a secluded place, but his second charge was building so quickly he didn't care at all who heard him. "Oh, Steve! Don't…. Ah-hah! Don't stop! Oh Primus! Don't stop!"

"Commander…." Steve's helm reeled over the sound of Starscream calling out for him. Nothing made his existence in this universe sweeter than his ability to please his master. "I'm very close too…. Do you want me to pull out?"

"No!" Starscream gauchely wrapped his arms behind the Vehicon's back and pulled him tight to his chassis. "Please! I want you inside me!"

No doubt that was his seeker programing talking, but that didn't matter to Steve. It still stroked his ego to listen to his superior officer whimper and writhe under him so anxiously. He picked up his pace and smiled mischievously over Starscream's parted lip-plates. "As you wish…. Commander…."

Starscream couldn't keep anything at bay when his lover talked to him like he was the only mech in the galaxy, and his second overload met them both with ferocity. He arched of the crate so intensely he ended up pushing Steve back upward, but the drone kept his pace and composure, and he steadied Starscream's waist against the now rattling crate.

"Commander Starscream!" Steve's overload only intensified his lover's climax. His warm trans-fluid rushed inside the tight valve so quickly it caused the muscled walls to constrict around Steve's spike. It nearly held him in place, but it didn't stop his waist from circling over Starscream's hips. "Oh…." He sighed over the seeker's neck cables. His hot exhaust rolling down Starscream's chest. "I think some of my fluid found its way into your gestation chamber. It's a good thing I'm not potent. You'd be sparked by now."

"Mm…. No…." Starscream mewled as he lazily kissed the side of Steve's helm, still jittering from his powerful orgasm. "This might be coming from my heat cycle…. But if it was at all possible right now, I would carry your sparklings…." As his systems began to cool down, he pushed himself up on his elbow joints and began to stroke a servo over the green glass above his torso. He tenderly caressed where his gestation chamber rested below his armored body and gently sobbed. "You have been such a loyal servant…. A very generous lover. If I could reward your devotion by continuing your legacy in this universe I would."

"I hope you can forgive me for being too forward Commander…." The Vehicon placed his servo over Starscreams', and sympathetically laced their digits together. "But I hope you know that I love you."

"I…. I do know that Steve." The seeker closed his optics tiredly, and small beads of optical fluid rolled down the sides of his faceplate. "But for now I cannot answer that. Can you forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive." Steve gently pulled his spike out and lifted Starscream to rest over his lap. He was now sitting on the crate and he held his commander tight to his frame. "I was created to serve and follow orders without hesitation, even at the risk of my own function. I live with the knowledge that every day…. Any day could be my last. That day…. Like today, when you called for me…. When you said you wanted me." Steve had to tilt his helm up and slowed his engines as best he could. He was coming very close to pressurizing again, and he would not allow himself to become aroused before or without Starscream. "As long as you keep coming to me…. As long as you still need me, and allow me to worship you freely, I have a true purpose. You have made this lowly Vehicon drone so happy…. Even if I don't deserve your attention."

"It's not whether you deserve my attention, but whether you've earned it." Starscream was beginning to cool down rather quickly. Soon his cooling fans came to a halt and he straightened his back struts, so he could meet Steve's optics. "And you really…. _Really_ earned my attention." He smiled and hummed as he repeatedly kissed his lover's dermas in his post-coital bliss. "I am not a fool. I know I'm a very selfish mech, but I do recognize where devotion deserves rewarding." As the seeker's light feather kisses explored more around Steve's cheeks and jawline, he snaked his right arm around the drone's neck and raked his left down the glass plating over Steve's chest. "Is there anything…. Anything more I can do to say thank you? What more can I give other than the benefits of my selfish desires?"

"Honestly, I feel like I'm already taking advantage of you, Commander." Steve returned his attention given to him with kindness, and he stroked his right servo up and down the length of Starscream's thigh. "You're desires maybe selfish, but my greed for them is unquenchable." Before pulling away to look down at his commander, he delicately bit Starscream's bottom lip-plate and earned an eager moan from the seeker. "Of course, there is one thing I've been considering for a while."

"Yes?" The second in command whispered through yet another building charge.

"Well…." Much to Starscream's surprise, Steve was blushing. He was never really the most stoic of mechs, but he hardly ever blushed in front of his commander (or he just could never really see it behind Steve's mask). "It is…. A sensitive matter. Would it be too much to ask if we discussed this behind our own closed doors? Perhaps tonight? My room?"

"Hm…." Starscream took this into consideration. "Very well, as long as I don't have any prior engagements this evening, we can meet for another tryst. But let's meet at my quarters instead. I will comm you at seven if anything changes."

"Yes commander." The Vehicon sighed. "Is there anything else you require of me—?"

"We're not done." The seeker quickly maneuvered himself on his knee-joints, so he could straddle the Vehicon's waist. "Do you have enough greed to take in one more selfish desire?"

"Hah…. Commander." Steve devoured Starscream's oral cavity as if he was starving. "As long as you allow me to worship you, my greed…. My lust for you will _never_ waver."

"Steve…." Starscream huffed through open mouthed kisses. "When we are alone like this…. Mm! You have my special permission…. Ah-hah! T-to call me by my name."

"Starscream…." Steve called out happily over and over again, as if it was the most sacred name in the universe…. And it was practically a sin for a low-ranking drone like him to utter. "Starscream…. Starscream…. I love you…. Please. Allow me to love you…."

Both mechs had fully pressurized again at this point, and Starscream was so lost in his lust he didn't wait for Steve to make the initial move. He lifted himself up over the drone's erect spike and lowered himself onto it. His optics flashed when he felt himself fall too fast, but Steve was quick to steady his lover's hips. "Permission…." The hot seeker hissed through clenched dental plates. "Granted…."

"I love you…. Starscream…" He couldn't stop himself from saying that phrase, and it seemed to spur Starscream on. With his helm reeled back, mouth gaping open, and his wings fluttering up taut, the seeker mindlessly ground his hips chasing after his third overload with more desperation then before. But he also returned the favor of adulation and cried Steve's name like he feared the Vehicon would evaporate in his arms.

"Steve! Steve! AH!" Again his climax was quick, but it lingered intensely. He arched backwards when his valve grasped around Steve's spike, pushing him into his second overload. They both gasped in satisfaction and Steve smiled like he finally reached the stars without lifting a single ped off the ground.

"You make me feel like I can fly." He groaned as he felt a mix of trans-fluid and lubricants leek onto the crate under him. Both his and Starscream's chassis were covered in splashes of the seeker's trans-fluid but neither one of them cared at the moment.

"I…. I think we should…." Starscream stammered as he rode out the last wave of his dissipating charge. "I think we should've held off on that last interface…. I feel so tired now."

"Uh-oh…." Steve's clarity came seeping back into his processor before it could for Starscream.

"What?" The second in command questioned in a half haze.

"My mask…." The drone grimaced, knowing very well he was going to be disciplined for what he had to say next. "I forgot it in the hall…. I need you to get it for me."

His concerns were met with reality, and Starscream slapped him. When the seeker was on a heat cycle, he could easily be the most willing and gentle lover in the galaxy, but when he came down off that high there was no stopping his abusive personality…. But it was well worth the danger for the overly smitten Steve.

"Idiot!" The seeker stood and quickly cleaned his hull with a rag he pulled from his subspace. His tiredness quickly forgotten. "How could you be so careless as to forget your fragging mask?!"

Steve could've said he took his mask off because Starscream asked him too. That it was all his idea and he only did it to please him, maybe even try to make the second in command feel a little guilty…. But all he did was smile while he rubbed his sore face-plate.

"I still love you, Commander Starscream."

 **-END-**


	2. Chapter 2

Be sure to read MERCY chapter eleven before continuing this story, or a lot of this is not going to make any sense. Remember the promise Starscream made for Steve? Well, he's finally going to make good on it now. What is the question Steve has been so eager to ask? What will his commander's answer be?

Feel free to comment and tell me what you think in the reviews. I love to hear from my readers. XD

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 11.2

Starscream led Steve to the end of his berth. Again he knelt in front of the Vehicon and stroked his thighs. He stared up at Steve and tilted his helm considerately, and the drone stared back with half lit optics.

"Tell me what he did to you." The seeker finally spoke, breaking the welcomed drawn out silence.

"Commander…" Steve frowned. The last thing he wanted to do was describe what he endured with Megatron. "I don't know if I can do that…"

"Try." Starscream grabbed both of his lover's servos and held them against his chest. "It can help. Trust me."

Steve shook his helm reluctantly. He was still very hesitant in indulging his experience with his commander. It was just too mortifying, but Starscream just looked back up at him and patiently waited for a reply. After a while, Steve sighed and glanced away from his commander's gaze.

"H-he… First, he… Pushed me down and placed himself between my legs."

The Vehicon barely had time to react when the seeker pushed him further back onto the berth and slid in between his struts. "Like this?" Starscream asked.

"C-Commander Starscream…?" Steve blinked with a muddled expression.

"What else did he do?" The second in command ignored him and he slowly started to rub his servo up and down the drone's black abdomen.

"I… Uh…" The violet mech shivered. "He started to kiss my neck cables… Then nipped under my chin…"

Again, Starscream followed suit and kissed the Vehicon's neck. As he started to climb his way up to bite Steve's chin he was stopped. The drone had pushed him back by his shoulders and softly cried.

"My commander…" Steve held Starscream's helm between his servos. "My love… I don't understand. I have been sullied… Why are you not disgusted with me? Why have you not sent me away?"

"Do you want me to send you away?" The sleek mech smirked, enjoying the way Steve jolted with fright.

"No!" The drone shook his helm some more. "By all means, I just…"

"Just what?" Starscream cradled his arm around Steve's neck and rested their fore-helms together. "Do you still think you are not worthy of me? Or do you believe I can't make up my own mind, and decide for myself how much you mean to me?" He escaped the drone's light grasp and went back to licking and biting down his lover's neck. As he grazed the edge of Steve's jaw line, he enticed a staggering moan from him. Starscream heaved when his cooling fans whirled alive. He didn't expect the Vehicon's mewling to be so alluring, since he never mewled like that before, and it made the seeker's smirk widen.

"But commander…"

"But nothing." He interrupted the drone and slid his digits up the violet plating. "I might not be able to return your love just yet… And I have my reasons, but I really do care for you Steve… And the only thing I have ever really cared for throughout this war is myself." He nuzzled the side of his helm against the crook of Steve's collar and sucked on any sensitive wiring he could reach, encouraging more pleasurable sounds from the still shaking Vehicon.

"I have known Megatron personally for a long, long time Steve." Starscream mumbled over soft metal and cables. "And I don't believe for one second that you allowed Megatron to do anything to you without feeling threatened. I know his wrath first hand. You have witnessed it."

"Please don't speak of that…" Steve whimpered. "I can't bare the memory of you being hurt like that again."

"Then tell me everything that happened to you." The second in command sat up and weaved his digits between Steve's wavering servo. "Tell me every detail… Every touch, so I can wash _my_ touch over it. Let me reclaim you as my own."

"Commander…" The drone returned the hold on his servo and closed his optics. He sighed as he felt more optical lubricants streak down his face and lulled his helm as a stray tear rolled over his parted lip-plates. "I feel… So dirty…"

"We are alone here Steve. You may call me by my name." Starscream let go of the other mech's servo and bent over to whisper hotly into Steve's audio receptor. "And if you truly feel so unclean… Allow me to cleanse you…"

"Oh… Starscream…" Steve complied to his commander's request and called his name with a degree of indecision. "I do adore your touch and I would gladly welcome it, but if you really want to place your servos upon me then I beg you… Touch me as yourself, not Megatron. I don't want to think of him looming over me like a beast any longer. I want to always think of you." He lifted Starscream's helm and made one last confession before he lightly kissed the shorter mech. "I want you… Only you."

The seeker smiled wickedly as he deepened the kiss and pushed Steve onto his back. He was still resting between the drone's legs and he grazed their heated paneling against each other. "If that is what you desire Steve, then that is what you shall receive. When we are in each other's arms like this, do not be afraid to tell me what you enjoy as well." Starscream dipped a digit into a transformation seam over Steve's chassis to see if he could tempt the drone to moan some more. "I want you to feel the same pleasure you give me."

"Ah-hah! Starscream!" The Vehicon gasped and leaned further into the servo. He blushed immensely but still had enough coherency left to gain Starscream's attention one last time. "Please wait a moment. Before we continue… Can I ask you something? The promise you made for me?"

"Mm…" Starscream groaned and rolled his optics. He wasn't all that close to being lost in his lust just yet, but he was getting ready to wander into it. "Very well. I did promise you after all." He propped himself unto his elbow-joints and stared lovingly down at Steve's golden optics, all while his other servo caressed the side of the drone's face. He even wiped away the last remaining tear drops under his right optic. The seeker smiled and kissed Steve's cheeks. "What is it you desire of me?"

"I… Uh…" Steve's face-plate glowed blue and he bowed his helm. "I… Want to give you something. Something I have held onto my entire function through either a miracle or pure luck… And earlier today I nearly had it taken away from me… That was the worst part of all of it. I almost didn't get the chance to ask…" He almost felt like he would cry again, but his commander assured him he was still safe by kissing his fore-helm and trailed down his face-plate.

"What is it Steve?" The smaller mech whispered over parted dermas. "What did he almost take from you?"

It was so difficult for Steve to finally say it allowed. He had kept this secret of himself for so long that he had to mentally unlock it from the deepest fragments of his mind. Still struggling to articulate his words, he decided he would express his thoughts physically, and slid open his valve paneling. Starscream gasped at the gesture and was amazed when he felt one of his servos being pulled down to be placed over the outer rim of the exposed interfacing equipment.

"I… Starscream I…" The Vehicon cried weakly. "My seal… I still have my seal… And I want you to be the one to break it."

For a moment, Starscream felt like he swallowed his own glossa. It had never occurred to the second in command that Steve had never been penetrated. Not that he really bothered to ask anyway. "You… You want me to what?"

"Actually," Steve had to tilt his helm to look down since Starscream needed to slide back to reach the valve, "I think what I want most is an answer. I just wanted to ask. Drones have very little possessions to call their own, and our chastity is one of them. But not everyone is fortunate enough to have the choice on when or whom they give it to. It is very common place for any and all drones to be used for a quick thrill, since we are all expendable anyway."

"Steve…" Starscream sighed and slid his servo away from the valve. His optical ridges furled in guilt and his wings drooped sadly. When he knelt back on his knee-joints to look down at the drone, Steve immediately regretted what he had just said.

"Oh! Forgive me Starscream!" Steve sat upward and reached out for his sad lover. "I didn't mean to say something so awful! That statement was not directed at you!"

"Huh? Oh! No! That's not the problem Steve." The seeker reached out for Steve in return and weaved their digits together. "In fact you are right, even I find drones to be expendable at times, but not you. I now find you to be irreplaceable…" He paused and took a deep intake before he continued. "I'm just really taking your request into careful consideration."

"It's okay if your answer is no." Starscream blinked rapidly and muddled his helm rapidly from side to side, confused by what the drone had just said, but Steve was quick to explain himself. "Like I said, I just wanted the opportunity to ask. Most drones don't even get the privilege to ask first, because we have no freedom to say no if a higher up makes the decision for us. I want the freedom to at least ask someone I have chosen to be my first… And I want you." Steve slid forward to kiss his lover's knuckles and nuzzle the back of his servo against his cheek. "Yes or no. I can accept either, because I have chosen you… And you gave me the greatest feeling of freedom in my entire function. I love you so much… Starscream. Thank you for letting me ask you."

"Steve…" Again, the second in command looked away and dipped his wings lower. There was a lot, and he was struggling with everything that was thrown at his pedes. It was true what he had said before. That he did find other drones to be nothing more, or at most, blasting fodder. Steve was definitely the only exception to this belief, and he wanted to give him everything he deserved. But there was just one thing that was holding him back from properly saying yes, and his stubbornness was really getting in the way of his own confession. "I… I have never been the spike mech."

"Oh…" Steve smiled and scooted closer to his commander so he could kiss him sweetly. "Then it would be a first time for both of us."

Starscream snorted. "I guess it would be… Or it will be."

"Y-you mean it?!" The Vehicon could hardly contain his excitement. Everything that Megatron had done to him moments before completely dissipated from his processor, and he embraced Starscream passionately. "Oh Primus don't let this be a flux! Are you seriously saying what I think you're saying?!"

"Oomph!" The seeker was briefly smothered by Steve's chassis. "Yes! Yes!" He shouted as he pushed himself half way off the overzealous drone, and then calmly smiled through a bright blush of his own. "Yes Steve… If you really want me, I will be your first, but I can't promise I'll be any good at it."

Steve smothered him again, but this time with his dermas. They kissed each other eagerly as the Vehicon lent back onto the berth and pulled Starscream on top of him. They both forgot Steve still had his valve exposed and the seeker unintentionally rubbed the top of his thigh against it. It was just enough pressure to force Steve to moan into Starscream's oral cavity, giving the seeker an opportunity to slip his glossa into the other cavity. He explored the drone's mouth with a new-found interest, and even grazed his thigh against Steve's valve a few more times. This enticed more moans and oppressed gasps from the Vehicon, and Starscream was extremely aroused by the new sounds he encouraged from his lover.

The kiss finally broke when it became unbearable for both of them, and Starscream had to pull away with a gasp. A string of oral lubricant flung into the air when the overheated seeker snapped his helm back. He was getting excited too quickly and he wanted to make sure he lasted longer than he usually would when interfacing. He glanced down at Steve and noticed how he lulled his helm back and exposed his neck cables. Through a lustful squint in his optics, Steve nonverbally begged Starscream to devour them. For a moment, the second in command wandered if he looked like this to any of his past partners, or if he ever looked like this to Steve. His face-plate almost completely blushing blue, optics half open and hungry, dermas parted and heaving desperately for cool air. It was entrancing.

"Starscream?" Steve heaved fervently. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh-no Steve…" Starscream whispered when he noticed how long he lingered staring at him. "I'm just enjoying the view… And I'm also trying to not get ahead of myself." He kissed the Vehicon's neck and slowly slid down his frame, leaving a lengthy trail of kisses along the way. "I want to make sure this experience is a very pleasurable one."

"Mmmm…" The drone writhed under every kiss. "So far everything feels just right… Ohhh… Please. D-don't stop…"

Starscream obliged Steve gleefully and he started digging his digits into transformation seams along the drone's hips. All while his glossa trailed more lubricants up the black plating. "Have I given you any indication that I have plans on stopping?" He grinned when the Vehicon shivered as he blew hot exhaust down the wet trail he left behind.

"N-no…" Steve answered as he nipped one of his digits, trying to stifle any embarrassing vocals from escaping. "I just need to know that this… Ah! Th-that this really isn't a dream… Mmmm… Please keep touching me. I need to know this is real…"

"I see." The seeker hummed as he cradled one of his lover's thighs. "Tell me… Do you dream of me often?"

Steve couldn't reply through his uncontrollable convulsing. He wanted to tell his commander yes, that he did dream and fantasize of the beautiful mech almost every night. Even before they started their affair and began sneaking around behind their leader's back. At this point he could care less if Megatron would eventually discover them. Steve could definitely die happy now.

"Don't you think it's a little late to act shy now?" Starscream slipped further down until his helm was aligned with the drone's valve. "Can you tell me if I ever did this in your dreams?" Almost painstakingly slowly, the seeker started licking the outer rim of the valve. It had already began lubricating some time ago and Starscream started to lap at it greedily.

"Oh! Yes!" The answer was actually no. Starscream had never done this in his fantasies because he never imagined the seeker would be willing to do it. It was more than the lowly Vehicon could ever hope for, and the act itself from a higher official was overwhelmingly arousing.

The second in command knew from his own experiences where all of the more sensitive places around the outside of the valve were, and he found all of Steve's reactions to his ministrations to be equally enticing. So he continued his exploration with his glossa, swirling it just outside the entrance and then gliding it upward where he landed on the anterior node above. He briefly stopped licking to close his dermas around it so he could gently suckle the delicate sensory bud. He very carefully pinched it between his dental plates and again twirled his glossa over the top of it. This was almost too much for Steve, and he arched off the berth so far, he thought he might bend in half. His mewling and light screams were nearly overpowered by the whining of his over worked cooling vents. The drone never knew valve play good feel anything like this. Whenever he asked his friends about what it feels like to break their seal, they all said the first time could hurt. Some said it only hurt a little, some would say it hurt a lot, but nobody mentioned anything like this. Steve also tried to keep enough of his mind open to pay attention to what Starscream was doing. He would have to remember it for later so he could also give his commander the same treatment, since he had never tried it before.

"Ah-hah! S-Starscream!" Steve placed a servo on the back of the seeker's helm as his charge was quickly building inside his tanks. "I think I'm close! So… Close!"

"Go ahead Steve…" Starscream mumbled over the node. "Overload. Breaking your seal will be easier if you are relaxed." The seeker lavished his attention over Steve's valve and hips. He increased the pressure around the anterior node when he felt it begin to harden under his glossa and moaned over it, sending vocal vibrations through Steve's neural net. This was more than enough to send the lust filled Vehicon over the edge, and his climax hit both mech's with intensity.

"Starscream!" The drone shouted over the upsurge of electricity rushing through and over his frame. His glossa hung partially over his bottom lip-plate, and he tipped his pedes outward when his entire body tensed with pleasure. "Oh Primus! I…! Uhn! I never knew! I never knew it could feel like this!"

His commander didn't reply. Starscream busied himself with lapping up the lubricants that had spilled out of the virgin valve. His glossa continued to twirl outside of the rim and gently inserted it partially through the entrance. He briefly felt the seal towards the back, and he was very careful not to add more pressure over the thin bio metal, knowing how tender it would be. Everything the seeker did increased the length of Steve's orgasm, and the Vehicon violently shook over the berth. The overload was so explosive, he didn't even realize his other servo had reached over to grasp the edge of the metallic mesh. He clawed at it so eagerly that he nearly tore it open.

I white flash soared over Steve's optics and the thrill of his orgasm slowly dissipated into near nothingness. He was satisfied, that went without question, but when it was over he felt a vast feeling of emptiness. It was like the connection he made with Starscream when they first started was suddenly lost, and something in his CPU clicked to life and told the drone that he wasn't finished. He suddenly had an irresistible need to be filled. He wanted to still be connected to his lover.

"I bet you'll be dreaming about that from now on." Starscream smirked wickedly. He again sat up onto his knees and watched Steve's chest heave up and down, gasping for cool air to sooth the heat lingering in his frame. He watched as condensation rolled down the violet metal. The very sight made his engines purr and encouraged him to lean over the quivering drone and started biting his neck cables. Steve's processor reeled with a new-found desire and lazily rested his arms around Starscream's back.

"P-please…" He whimpered desperately. "I… I want you so much. Starscream…" The seeker lifted himself up further, but before he could kiss Steve, the drone said something that nearly blew the second in command's CPU. "Please… Take me…"

" _Starscream: Requesting audience."_ Soundwave's voice almost killed the mood entirely as it crackled of the seeker's comm links.

"Damn it…" He groaned over Steve's open dermas and pulled himself away to answer the call. Before he did, he reassured his delirious lover that he would return. "Give me a minute. I forgot to turn off my comm links and Soundwave is calling."

"Yes sir." The poor drone cried softly from the lack of contact.

"This had better be good, Soundwave!" Starscream answered the call very aggravated. He was really starting to enjoy his role reversal, and since he had yet to overload, he was really getting frustrated.

" _Officer Breakdown: Reported missing. Possible abduction. Soundwave: Providing intel to second in command."_

Starscream became both intrigued and suspicious at the same time. Why would this information be brought to his attention out of nowhere? Then again…

"Have you first informed Megatron of this development?" Why wouldn't he have been? Why would the most loyal soldier under Megatron's tyranny indulge information on a mech he barely trusted?

" _Negative."_ Soundwave replied stoically. _"Given information: Useful for Megatron's favor. Chance for redemption."_

"Am I to assume that this information of yours isn't being given out of the kindness of your spark?" Starscream brushed his servo along Steve's waist line, letting his lover know that he wasn't being forgotten. "What is it that you want in exchange?"

" _Favors to be determined later. Timing: Critical. Starscream: Accepting info?"_

The seeker bit his dermas and his wings fluttered suspiciously. This all seemed too easy, and he wasn't sure if accepting such an obvious set up was a good idea. But ever since his fall from is brief position as leader of the Decepticon army, Starscream had been shunned from almost all data and tactical planning that Megatron hadn't approved for him first. Perhaps this information could help him place himself back into the tyrant's good graces? Then again, this could really be a trap set up by Megatron. A test to see just how loyal the second in command was pretending to be.

As he mulled the idea of accepting Soundwave's _'generosity'_ , he glanced back done at Steve. The drone had stopped shaking, but his frame was still hot to the touch, and his half open golden optics flutter so brightly it left a light green hue over his blue blushing face-plate. Starscream was eager to continue ravishing his willing lover, but the temptation to possibly reestablish his rank was too strong to ignore. The least he could do was hear Soundwave out and see if he could use what he was given.

"I'll be there in seven minutes." He sighed before disconnecting the link. He reached over Steve one last time and remorsefully kissed him. "I'm sorry Steve, but there is some business that needs my attention. I must go."

"Do you require my assistance, Commander?" Steve asked weakly.

"No, but I do have an order for you." Starscream rested his helm in the crook of the Vehicon's neck and shoulder, and partially embraced him under his arms. "You are to stay here for the rest of the night and wait for my return. Rest and help yourself to a glass of high grade. When I return… We will pick up where we left off."

"Yes, Commander Starscream." The violet mech answered, trying to hold back the disappointment in his vocalizer. "I will be here when you return."

There was one last sweet kiss between the two, before Starscream slid off the berth and started to walk to the door. He lingered a moment when Steve gently tugged on his servo.

"I love you… So much Starscream." He smiled blissfully. He knew Starscream wouldn't say the same thing to him, but he was satisfied that his lover would at least acknowledge his feelings.

"I know." Starscream whispered and kissed Steve's servo once more before he finally slipped away, leaving the chamber for the now lonely drone to accommodate… And he eagerly awaited the return of the precious mech in his function.

 **-END-**


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone! As promised, the Autobots are here! Normally I don't write a branch off chapter before I write the standard chapter of MERCY first, but I have been having some major writer's block issues for quite some time. I know how I want to continue the chapter but I'm having trouble piecing it together. So to help me unblock the… Block, I guess, I'm going to try my hand at writing about the opposite team… And by that I mean the Autobots. (See how bad this is getting for me? I'm also having issues writing my damn intros.)

I was debating for a while whether I wanted to make this another separate story, but then I thought it would be a little silly since it still had a place in the original stories plot. Doesn't look like it now, but eventually it will. Optimus goes a little off character, but not much. Again, bear with me.

I won't be leaving any shout outs here, but I would like too say I'm sorry for making people cry in the last chapter of MERCY. But the genres not called Hurt/Comfort for nothing. :}

Don't forget to leave a review and ask questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Autobots

Chapter 16.2

It was rare for Ratchet to get a little quiet time to himself in the base. More so, since the human children would visit so frequently. Miko was the last to leave that night. She wanted to wait for Bulkhead to come back and tell her how his rescue of Breakdown went. She was absolutely rivetted when her guardian told her that not only did he save his archnemesis, but they had fought. And he won the rematch. After a few high-pitched squeals and some overly enthusiastic bouncing, Optimus had thankfully asked Bulkhead to take Miko home for the night. Once Ratchet had bridged them into Jasper, Fowler had finally woken up from the couch. He wasn't far behind Miko and Bulkhead, and he left in his helicopter.

Not long after, Bumblebee decided he didn't want to fall into recharge just yet and went out for a drive so he could clear his helm a little. Arcee thought a drive would be nice as well but volunteered to take Optimus's patrol duties as well. Trying to give him a chance to get some extra recharge. Everyone was surprised when he agreed and allowed the two-wheeler to take his place. Everyone except for Ratchet.

The medic eyed the Autobot leader as he walked towards his personal quarters. He wouldn't be there for very long, since he was just doing it for show. He was just going to wait until he was sure everyone was gone before he would walk back into the main area. He waited a good ten minutes and returned to find Ratchet standing over his personal console, working on a random project he had set aside for himself to toil over. Optimus stood in the hall entrance for a moment and just watched Ratchet work. The bulky mech had his back turned to his leader and had no idea he was standing there. He did know that Optimus would eventually make his presence known, but he wasn't going to give the Prime the satisfaction of his attention. Or at least he wouldn't make it easy.

"Will you be working long Ratchet?" Optimus asked. "You should also consider resting early tonight."

"I got plenty of recharge last night." The white mech didn't even turn his helm to reply to the Prime. "I'm not like the others. I don't stay up through the night into the next day anymore, but if I get enough rest I do like to stay up for a little while."

"I actually know, for a fact, that you didn't get that much recharge last night." The taller bot had been walking up behind Ratchet the entire time he was talking. Once Optimus stood right behind his comrade, he reached out and caressed Ratchet's shoulders. "I was there after all."

Ratchet sighed softly as his leader kissed the back of his helm, and felt his large servos slide under the medic's back armor. "What are you doing Optimus?" He asked, but he knew the answer.

"I'm just removing your hubcap." The Prime replied innocently.

"Really?" The medic chuckled while he was still focusing on his computer. "Is that all your trying to do?"

"That depends." Optimus finally removed the large hub from Ratchet's back, and quickly set it aside. "Are you going to make me try hard?" His servos ran up the length of the white mech's newly exposed frame, and gently smiled when Ratchet shivered. The larger mech's touch was enticing, but the medic stood his ground. He took a deep intake and closed his optics.

Optimus wrapped his arms around Ratchet's waist. Without the medic's hub in the way, the two mech's frames locked against each other like a puzzle piece. They fit together perfectly, and Ratchet knew that his resolve wasn't going to last much longer. "It amazes me how childish you can be sometimes." He whispered while his helm listed back onto the Prime's broad red chassis.

"Only around you, old friend." Optimus whispered in return, right into his lover's audio. He started licking the receptor and traced one of his servos down Ratchet's front. The shorter mech sighed heavier this time and pushed himself into his leader's body. He gasped when the servo grazed his modesty cover. Ratchet's restraint finally melted away, and he let go of the console so he could place his servos over Optimus's. One laid flat over the servo on his chassis, and the other grasped the larger mech's wrist. His cooling fans whirled to life when Optimus started to tease sensitive wiring in the seams around his codpiece.

"W-wait…" Ratchet's vocals wavered when he felt his interfacing panels nearly slide open. "Not… Ah! Not here… The others might show up any minute."

"But I thought you weren't ready to recharge yet?" The larger mech teased the medic some more and became bold enough to grind his pelvic armor against Ratchet's aft.

"Ah-hah!" The white mech gasped, clinging to Optimus's servos desperately. "Please Optimus! Let's go back to your chamber… I'm not a young model anymore… I don't feel comfortable interfacing just anywhere…"

"So that time we spark-bonded in the midwestern woods was just a whim then?" Optimus quirked an optic ridge as he kissed the side of Ratchet's helm again.

"A complete whim." The older mech didn't hesitate with his reply and he earned a rare show of amusement from the stoic bot. Optimus had chuckled into his lover's audio before he turned the medic around to face him. Before he kissed Ratchet, he took a minute to stare longingly into his optics. The medic's faceplate was already flushed blue, and his air vents huffed anxiously waiting for physical contact to his dermas. He slowly lifted his helm upward in search of that contact and was rewarded with just as much eagerness from the Prime. They both pulled their frames closer to each other, frantic to stay connected. Ratchet was the first to slip in his glossa and circled it around his lover's oral cavity. Optimus returned the gesture by sucking on the wriggling appendage and occasionally nipping the white mech's bottom lip.

"Optimus…" Ratchet moaned into the Prime's mouth, trying to regain his attention before the both of them got too lost in their own lust. "Please… Your room…"

"Mmm…" Optimus hummed in return before breaking the kiss. "I know. I can feel your apprehension after all."

"Then why are we still standing here?" The smaller mech tilted his fore-helm under his leader's chin and nuzzled his neck cables. He could hear Optimus's spark beating beneath his chest. It was strong and soothing, but also somehow still calm, even though Ratchet's was reeling excitedly. He did want to continue, and let the Prime have full range of his frame. He wanted to be ravished and caressed by Optimus's strong yet gentle servos and adorned by his lip-plates over his white heating metal. But he also didn't want an audience.

"Because I just put my arms around you." His leader answered with a low rumble in his voice. "I'm not ready to let you go yet."

Ratchet smiled under his growing blue blush. Optimus was obviously being his usual Prime self. Keeping his emotions in check and avoiding the direct approach of his feelings. His old friend knew this about him. Even before they decided to bond, Ratchet was perhaps the only mech in existence that could read between Optimus's lines so easily. The Prime never had to really say it, because the older mech could always understand.

"I love you too." The medic whispered affectionately. "And that's why I want to have you to myself when we are like this… I want to be sure that I'm alone with you…" He reached up and wrapped his arm under Optimus's shoulder. Ratchet grazed his digits down the center of his leader's back and dipped into a transformation seam. Optimus groaned as a knuckle gently circled and massaged into his sensitive wiring. His lover would know where all of his tender bits would be, being his medic after all.

"Easy Rachet." He sighed as he brought the white mech's free servo up to his dermas. Through enough experience, Optimus knew where all of his partner's weak spots were as well. Nothing made the medic's knee joints go weaker faster than when his servos were treated so attentively. "We won't make it to my chambers if you excite me too much… I just might have to take you right here if—."

"Don't you dare!" Ratchet snipped faintly through a half haze in his optics. "I already told you, and I shouldn't have to remind you, that I am too old for this kind of scrap anymore. So you just—Ah!"

All of his restraint was shocked out of him when Optimus dipped two of the white mech's digits into his oral cavity. The Prime suckled on the sensitive fingers and slid his glossa between them so he could lavish the sensory calluses. Most medics have very tender servos, but Ratchet's were especially delicate. Which made him completely helpless if his leader decided to take advantage of this weakness. Ratchet no longer had the strength in his processor to keep his valve panel closed. He squirmed a little and tried to back away, but Optimus was reluctant to let him go.

"O-Optimus!" The medic shook as he hyperventilated in pleasure. "Please! Please not here… I just can't…"

"Mm-hm…" The taller mech mumbled while he slowly slid the servo down and out of his oral cavity, still sucking along the length of the digits. When he finally came to the end of the fingers, he brazenly circled his glossa around the tips. When he finally pulled the entirety of the servo away, a trail of oral lubricant kept him connected to his lover's hand. "Alright, we can go now. Walk slowly."

"Like I could run now…" Ratchet mewled, trying to not sound disappointed when Optimus finally pulled away. Of course the connection through their spark-bond made it hard for him to hide his restlessness, but he still walked alongside his leader. It was a slow saunter, but despite his enthusiasm to continue their exploration of each other, Ratchet was grateful Optimus kept his arm slung around his shoulders. His right servo was being cradled in Optimus's opposite hand. The medic smiled warmly every time his lover kissed the back of his digits all the way to the dormitory area of the base. By the time they reached Optimus's room, lubricants began to trail heavily down the inside of Ratchet's struts.

"Lay upon the berth." The deep voiced mech whispered hotly into Ratchet's audios and directed him inside after the doors opened. "My doors stick sometimes. I need to close them manually."

"Human architecture…" The overheated mech huffed but hobbled over to the berth as requested. "Almost as primitive as their technology."

Optimus just ignored his partner's griping and quickly closed his doors. He was sure Ratchet could feel his eagerness to interface with him through their bond, but he was still very placid about showing it physically. But when he turned around to gaze upon his lover stretched out along his berth, and heaving desperately waiting for his return, the Prime couldn't stop his engines from revving in desire.

' _You're beautiful…'_ He announced to Ratchet through their bond, making the older mech's blush glow brighter.

' _I can't wait much longer…'_ The aroused medic replied and gasped when his lover crawled up the berth and pushed his knee-joints apart. "Optimus…" He moaned in more desperation and grasped one of the servos still on his knees. "Touch me… Caress me…"

Optimus finally rested his frame over Ratchet's front and eagerly kissed him. Soon his beautiful lover said one last thing that made his spike cover rush open. "Take me…"

"As you wish my love." The larger mech's voice rumbled into Ratchet's oral cavity and down his throat. The vibrations enticed more pleasurable feelings from the medic, and he returned the sensation by pulling the Prime's frame tighter to his body. His spike covering slid open as well and he moaned when he felt Optimus's spike pressurize outside his saturated valve. It slid upward and the girth of the member rubbed against Ratchet's anterior node. The medic nearly screamed into the long kiss and he bucked his hips upward. He stilled for only a moment when he felt the red and blue mech's servo trail down his frame a second time, Optimus's long black digits leaving warm light feather touches along its path. He delicately brushed over Ratchet's spike between their frames, delighted to hear his lover moan louder over the clicking of his cooling fans. When the servo finally reached the exposed valve Ratchet broke the kiss and whispered softly.

"D-don't need it…" His quivering frame rattled when Optimus tilted his helm upward so the Prime could lick his neck cables. "Please… Oh… Optimus… I'm ready for you now… I need you… Now."

Ratchet's impatient nature could be quite amusing sometimes. It really was amazing to Optimus when he stopped to think about it. How the medic was by far both the oldest member of their team, and perhaps the oldest Cybertronian currently on the planet, but he has yet to learn how to truly be patient. It was most likely the product of an ongoing civil war. Never being able to stay in one place for too long of a time was never a good chance to develop any easy-going tendencies.

"You have never been one to wait long…" The Prime chuckled and playfully massaged his digits along the outer rim of the valve. The lubricants began to flow quicker and drizzled onto the berth. "Yet you didn't want to rush things out in the main area."

"Because that is where we work and where the children pl… Congregate." Ratchet caught himself before he said the children 'played' in the main area. Not that it wasn't true, he just didn't want to really phrase it that way. He didn't really know why, but it wasn't like he was trying to protect them from anything. They wouldn't be disciplined, but saying they played wasn't the right word in the medic's mind. However, it was no longer just _his_ area anymore, it was the children's as well, and in a way he now found it to be a little sacred. Regardless of the risk of being caught, the idea of doing something so… Intimate there now, just didn't feel right. "Like I said before Optimus… I just want you to myself sometimes, and the best way to do that is in our rooms… And when those doors close behind us… I can't hold back the need to have you."

Using his own servo the white mech reached down to line the head of his lover's spike along the outer rim of his valve, then through their connection he begged one last time. _"I want you inside me… Optimus…"_

"Ratchet…" Optimus finally obliged the eager mech beneath him, and he slowly began to push himself inside of the valve. Despite Ratchet's age, the elasticity along the walls of his equipment had always been tight. In fact the larger mech would have actually preferred it if he could've prepared his lover first, but he didn't want to withhold from his wishes either. But he still wanted to be cautious and continued to carefully lean the length of his large spike inside the taught mesh gradually. Ratchet's spike was now fully pressurized, and as soon as Optimus rested fully inside the valve he reached between them so he could gently pump the medic's spike.

"Optimus…!" The white mech gasped happily as he felt himself being stretched. Being close to Optimus was the most exhilarating feeling he had ever experienced in his entire function. Every time they interfaced it felt like the first time for him. Optimus made him feel young, appreciated, attractive, and loved… And whether it was through their bond or if he had to physically show it, Ratchet would always let his lover know how he truly felt about him. "Don't stay still for too long… Please move."

"Are you alright? I won't hurt you if I move?" The Prime ground his hips against Ratchet's pelvic plating and waited for a reply. But to his surprise the answer he received was a quick shift in their positions. The medic gave himself enough momentum with his legs to swing Optimus onto his back.

"For Primus sake Optimus!" He grunted now that he was seated over his lover. "I may be old, but I'm not a sparkling…" He braced his servos over Optimus's broad red shoulders and started moving his hips over the slimmer waist. Ratchet slid up and down over the length of the spike inside of him. He started a little slower than he wanted to at first, but gradually he increased his pace. Optimus closed his optics and sighed unevenly. Not really what he had in mind for tonight, but he did enjoy how Ratchet was still full of surprises, and how he decided to use one every now and then. In the end it didn't matter what position they were in. The noises the medic made during interface had always spurred Optimus on with enthusiasm, and he began to meet every grind with a thrust of his own. "Ah-hah! Oh! Optimus!"

"Ratchet…" The Prime placed each of his servos on each side of Ratchet's hips. He pulled him closer into each thrust and drove his spike deeper into the loud medic's valve, encouraging him to moan louder. "I love you…"

"And I love you!" Ratchet cried with tears of pleasure rolling down his faceplate. "It…! It feels so good! I'm already close!"

"I am as well." Optimus felt the charge in his tanks tingle at the base of his torso, but he wanted to do one last thing before they both reached an overload. He sent a message out to Ratchet through their bond, eager to draw a yes from his lover. When the message was received the medic returned a signal of hesitance. It hadn't been that long since they did what the larger mech was suggesting, and he did very much enjoy it. But it was something that left him open and vulnerable. Despite how much he loved his leader, Ratchet was still a very private mech. Of course Optimus was aware of this, and he didn't push the idea. He did very much want to do it, but what he wanted most of all was to make sure his partner was just as comfortable as he was aroused. The Prime smiled as he slid a servo under Ratchet's helmet and wiped a tear away with his thumb.

The white mech slowed his thrusts and ground his waist affectionately. "Optimus…" He huffed on held in intakes. "I want to be close to you too…"

"We are already close, Ratchet." The larger mech lifted himself up just enough to kiss the center of his lover's chassis. "I want to _stay_ close to you… This war has gone on for four million years. Primus only knows how much longer it will take to end, but when we are together for only a few moments… Like this…"

He was interrupted by the sound of metal separating and he watched in wonder as Ratchet's chest compartment opened. The sweet glow of his spark was only matched by the unconditional warmth that radiated from it. This was Ratchet in his basis form, and only Optimus ever had the privilege to gaze upon it.

"For a few moments like this…" Ratchet continued for the Prime, lust still fluttering in his optics. "There is no war… There is no worry, or fear… Just us… And I want to keep it this way as well… But…"

"Shhh…" Optimus hushed his lover. "Remember, you can still keep things to yourself." He also opened his chassis and exposed his spark as well. "I know you have your secrets, and I trust you will share them with me one day."

"How do you know that?" The white mech wavered, feeling a little bit of pain from withholding his overload. His lover's smile widened as he pulled Ratchet down closer to him.

"Because you never would have told me you had a secret in the first place, and you had never led me astray or let me down."

Their chests finally met with each other and their sparks melted like hot wax fusing together. It always started as a soft and warm feeling whenever they bonded, but then an enormous wave of flames engulfed their very beings. All of their thoughts, feelings, and memories flowed into and around their frames, but Ratchet still blocked a piece of his past away. Optimus held nothing back, even if the older mech already knew all most everything about the Prime off hand. He still left his soul open for him to explore as he pleased, which made Ratchet feel abundantly guilty. His leader hid nothing from him… Nothing. But he just didn't have the courage to show him everything of his past. What would he think of him if the Prime knew? Would he except it as a circumstance of his upbringing? Or would Ratchet face his worst fear, and drive the desired mech of his life away?

Optimus could feel that blocked memory again and the anxiety that came with it. So he sent all his feelings of love and understanding through their connection. He told him he desired the medic as well, so much that he never wanted their interfacing sessions to ever end. _"I love you…"_ He repeated through the bond since he was heaving so desperately he couldn't speak. _"I love you and I want you… Ratchet… Ratchet…"_

"By the All-Spark, Optimus!" Ratchet cried some more and went back to riding over his lover's frame. The Prime met every gyration with his own thrusts again and he grabbed his lover's spike between their static riddled frames. "AHH! Yes! Please! F-faster!"

"I'm close too, Ratchet!" Optimus's voice raised unintentionally. The medic was the only mech that had that kind of power over him. "Shall we overload together?"

Ratchet said nothing. His air vents hitched, condensation streaked down his frame, and his processor went blank. His vocalizer wasn't entirely silent, however he was still gasping and crying out desperately. The medic's release was eminent, and now he needed it more than anything in the universe… And lucky for him, he had the most caring lover to bring him to that satisfaction.

"OPTIMUS!" He clung to the Prime after two last hard thrusts, and he climaxed with ferocity. His orgasm intensified when Optimus overloaded inside of his valve. The warm fluid rushed inside of Ratchet and it filled him to the brim. Lubricants spilled onto the berth, and their sparks spun and crackled brightly.

When the thrill of the climax finally dissolved both mech's allowed their chest armor to close. The metal clicked shut like a screen door slamming in a strong breeze, but they still stayed connected to each other with their equipment. Optimus's spike was still inside Ratchet's valve and he wished for it to stay that way for just a while longer. The medic didn't abject, not that he could. After the long day everyone at the base had, it wasn't that surprising that the older model fell straight into recharge. The Prime was also tired, and he was ready to rest as well. But instead he tucked Ratchet's helm under his chin and caressed the back of his frame tiredly. He kissed the top of his helmet a few times before he permanently made himself comfortable.

"I love you Ratchet." Optimus repeated for the last time that night. "Know that I always have… And always will."

 **-END-**


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone! I finally got my stories back on track and filed this one in the right place. Before I really get into this chapter I should probably **WARN** anyone reading that this one takes a very sharp, dark turn. If you, the reader, cannot handle non-consensual stories feel free to skip this one. Also be aware that this will be mentioned later on in main story, and I don't mean to spoil anything by saying this, but there will be a happy ending eventually. But in the meantime, I'm almost certain I'm going to piss some people of with this one.

I won't be posting my special shot outs here, but thank you to everybody who/whom still read and enjoy my stories… Especially after this one…

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

* * *

MERCY

Starscream & Antaeus

Chapter 19.2

Starscream was legitimately surprised by the size of Antaeus's quarters. It wasn't as grand as his own chambers but considering this was part of the drones' dormitories it was quite impressive. It was a single large room with a very large bay window. His berth, one of decent size, was placed in front of it. It wasn't dark out yet and there was actually a rather nice sunset peering through the glass. What would most likely be a dark and gloomy room was encased in a golden shroud of warm light. It reminded the seeker of that kind look in Steve's optics, and he felt his sadness dip further downward. The emotional shift must have seeped through his EM field, because the drone that had followed him into the room slipped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist and chassis. Starscream emitted a low growl of disgust but allowed the taller mech to embrace him. Yet when he felt lip-plates teasing the back of his neck the seeker pulled himself away. He never turned around to face his extortionist and he crossed his arms in an attempt to protect himself from the feeling of exposure. It didn't help and he found himself loitering over the random furniture in the center of the room.

Antaeus chortled as he stepped away from the second in command. He walked further over to a corner of the room. There was a collection of energon crates stacked on their sides, creating a makeshift liquor cabinet. He smirked as he reached in and grabbed one cube. He also grabbed a crystal pitcher and filled the cube with highgrade practically to the brim.

"I apologize for the room temperature drink." He said as he walked back with the glass in hand. "Even higher-ranking drones are limited to the luxuries they are given, but I assure you the brand is high quality." The Eradicon reached around and swirled the cube in front of Starscream's helm. The seeker sneered and took the glass from Antaeus, if for nothing more than to appease the drone's taunting. For a while, Starscream also toiled with the cube. He noticed that the drone had also added a glass stirrer for some reason, but the flier just shrugged it off as the troop making a low-class mistake. Before he sipped on the warm liquid he also toiled with the clear stick. Then he finally turned around to face Antaeus.

Starscream took note of the taller mech's faceplate, now that his visor was fully removed. He had red slanted optics with small triangular accents adorning the outer edges of the sockets. Like most mechs on the Nemesis he had thin lateral lines running down the sides of his face. They were actually similar to the lines that ran down the seeker's cheeks, but the shape of Antaeus's helm was slightly different. He didn't have a round face, but it wasn't long and slim like Starscreams'. Inevitably, Antaeus wasn't a bad looking mech, but it was rather strange he didn't have any scratches on his faceplate. He was obviously a battle sufficient drone, so he should have a few scars. Even if he had buffed them out there would be an indentation left behind, but the metal was smooth and even a little shiny. Antaeus perhaps had the most perfect metal and mesh that Starscream had ever seen on a drone, but that didn't mean he found the mech attractive. In fact, that satisfied and smug smirk the taller mech wore with such pride sickened him, and it compelled the seeker to take a larger swill of the highgrade.

"Woah… You can really put it away when you want to." The Eradicon inched his way closer to his Commander. "But you don't have to rush… We have all night after all…"

"All night for what?" Starscream hissed and jerked his shoulder back as the drone ghosted his servo over it. "Do you care to explain yourself in fuller detail? In fact, if you truly have the intention of blackmailing me I would like to see some proof you have anything over me."

The expression of smugness never faltered over Antaeus's helm, and he barely stepped away to reach for a remote on the table behind him. With it he used it to turn on a medium sized holo-screen at the foot of his berth. The footage was reversed from where he stood, but it was clear that the Eradicon was telling the truth. He did have video of Steve entering Starscream's quarters, and he even had audio feed of the seeker calling the Vehicon by name. This wasn't ideal, but if Starscream remained calm and distant there was a chance he could convince the drone he was wasting his time.

"So, you have proof that I, a commanding officer, invited a troop to spend a night in my personal quarters." He nonchalantly sipped on the cube again. "I'm not the first, and I'm definitely not the last. If that is really all you have then I think our business is concluded. You have nothing."

The slim flier turned on his heels and gestured to the door, but Antaeus stepped in front of him. His wicked grin only reflected the glimmer of arrogance in his red irises. "Really? So you're saying Megatron wouldn't be interested in this video?"

"Not in the slightest." Part of that was true. It was a very short film and despite the fact he said Steve's name Starscream could easily explain it away as something innocent. Even though the seeker stood confident and upright, Antaeus remained unaffected. The taller mech lifted his servo still holding the remote, and when he pushed a random sequence of buttons, another holo-screen appeared against the wall opposite the berth. Another recorded image of Steve and Starscream was played. This time they were canoodling in the halls outside of Steve's room. Fortunately the Vehicon's back was facing the camera, so nobody could see his face. But the audio feed was much more incriminating this time.

" _Steve…! Oh Steve…! Yes!"_ The past version of the Commander cried out, much to his present counterparts' horror.

"You know, Soundwave is not the only mech with skills in operating surveillance." The Eradicon chortled. "If the first video won't get our master's attention, do you think this one will do the trick?"

"Stop…" Starscream clenched both his servos over the cube. Bowing his helm he looked away from the screen in the opposite direction, but another holo-screen appeared where his optics landed.

"What about this one?" Antaeus moved closer again and loomed his frame over the seeker's back. "You are surprisingly flexible. Did you know you could bend that far back?"

"Stop…" The seeker repeated himself and closed his optics. His faceplate burned angerly as he listened to the sounds of his own panting over a speaker.

"Hang on… I've got one more." Another screen appeared and this time there was no avoiding the incrimination against Starscream and Steve. "I think this one might be my favorite. Oh! Listen to this next part! It's a real kicker!"

" _Oh Primus Steve!"_ The past seeker screamed. _"So good…! You're so good! B-better then Megatron!"_

"Stop! Damn you! Just stop!" Starscream spun around again and threw the rest of the highgrade into the drone's face. Antaeus sneered a little before he grasped the base of his Commander's wounded shoulder. His grip was so tight and violent it forced Starscream to lean into the Eradicon's front. The seeker grimaced and squeezed the cube in his opposite servo so harshly it nearly shattered. "Gah! Just get on with it already! Tell me what you want from me so I can bribe you properly and leave! What do you want from me?!"

"What I want from you?! Nothing!" Antaeus grabbed the side of Starscream's less damaged arm and briefly shook the seeker aggressively. "What I want is to make that little mesh biter of yours suffer! You are here as a product of his sin against me…" Starscream stared up at him. His wide optics began to fill with fluids because the pain in his shoulder was so bad, but most of all he was just stunned and also terrified. The taller mech holding him stared back at him with wide red optics of his own, but Antaeus was also smiling like a mad mech. His intakes heaved heavily over the smaller flier's faceplate. He even let one of Starscream's arms go so he could trace his digits over the seeker's parted dermas. "Ooooh…" He released a chilling sigh. "I like that look in your optics… And I can't wait to see the look on Steve's face when he finds out how I defiled his beloved Commander and made him my glitch!"

Starscream wanted to make good on his name and scream at the top of his air vents. He wanted to kick, claw, scratch, bite, anything physical so he could really show this insubordinate hack just how he became the second in command of the entire Decepticon army… But he couldn't move. The seeker's entire frame started to shake drastically, and he felt so weak he could no longer hold on to the cube in his servo. He dropped it and it shattered between the two mechs pedes.

"Wha-t…?" He slurred. "What iss-ss… Hhh-happening…?"

"Did you enjoy the highgrade? _Commander_?" Antaeus taunted Starscream even more. "I can't believe you, the most stuck up Decepticon on the ship, didn't question the swivel stick in your cube."

"Th-the… Sss-stick…?" The seeker went limp and was only able to stay up right by Antaeus's arms.

"Haven't you figured in out yet?" The tall drone shuffled over to his berth, dragging the tips of Starscream's pedes across the floor. "The stick was laced with a paralyzing aphrodisiac. Just a little… Added insurance. Don't worry though, you won't be completely paralyzed. Just enough to weaken and make you a little more compliant… And as for the aphrodisiac… Well…" Starscream was suddenly thrown from the Eradicon's arms and he landed onto the berth. He sprawled out groggily over the metal mesh with his legs hanging partially off the edge. He could also feel a tingling heat rise in his tanks, and he prayed it was his tanks preparing to evacuate. But it was worse then that… The seeker was beginning to feel aroused, and he absolutely despised himself for feeling such away. Even if it wasn't his fault.

"Nn-n-no…" He convulsed and tried to concentrate on moving his arms, but they felt as heavy as lead. He managed squirm back a little when Antaeus crawled over his frame and started pawing his armor attentively. "No… N-no… Don't… Touch me… V-vile drone…"

"Oooo… Talk dirty to me…" Antaeus took hold of the base of Starscream's hips and pushed him further onto the berth. "Because when that paralyzing agent fully circulates your system, that's all you'll be able to do… That is until I entice you pass the feeling of euphoria and transform you into a writhing mess of wonton screams of pleasure…"

As the Eradicon flipped the seeker onto his front, Starscream hissed at him through tight dental plates. "D-don't… Flatter y-yourself… Uh!"

Antaeus pulled his prey's aft against his pelvic plating and grinded against the pert backside. While Starscream was propped up on his knees, the tall drone rested his frame between the seeker's parted wings. He started licking the back of Starscream's neck cables. The feeling of his hot exhaust rolling down the side of the smaller mech's helm was enough to make him retch. Antaeus's oral lubricants were so abundant it drizzled past Starscream's flush filled cheek and enticed the seeker to ball his servos into fists. It was all the weak flier could do to keep himself from purging. Fortunately he was able to distract himself by the sound of Steve's voice. The videos he was shown were still playing on a loop and he could hear his former lover adorning him from afar.

" _Oh Commander…"_ The kind voice echoed in Starscream's drug induced processor. _"You are so beautiful… I don't deserve you…"_

"St-Steve…" He whimpered and using his digits he coaxed his servo to crawl to the side of his helm. He tried so hard to reach out to the holo-screen and seek out his source of comfort, but the drug was still ravishing his body in its early stages. Starscream was too weak to lift his hand properly, but he tried as best he could. "Steve… Steve…"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to say another mech's name when you're fragging someone else?" The Eradicon laced his three large digits with the reaching servo. Then he lulled his dermas over Starscream's audio receptor. "But that's alright… You can say whatever you like if it helps you get your engines rumbling."

"Like I n-need your permission…" Starscream's vocals were finally starting to even out. The paralyzing agent was cycling within him quickly, but it still pooled into his limbs. The aphrodisiac was just as unforgiving, and as the warm tingling in his tanks traveled along his body his interfacing panels, to the small fliers increasing horror, slid open.

"Mmmm…" Antaeus reached under Starscream's frame and traced his digits along the outer rim of a heavily lubricated valve. "You're already this wet? How much of this is the drug? Or are you that much of a whore you'll slip your cover for any drone that touches you?"

"Uhn…" Starscream cried. "Just get it over with and take what you want from me… Leave Steve alone and…" He swallowed hard and forced himself to say what he needed to next. "You can have me… Entirely. You don't need to use the drug again… J-Just call upon me and I will be there to fulfill your needs. Hah!"

"Tempting." The Eradicon chortled and inserted all three of his digits into the valve. He spread the metallic fingers wide and stretched the elastic mesh almost painfully. "But the temptation to torment that little chrome licker is just too great…" His paneling slid back, and his spike fully pressurized from listening to Starscream's desperate heaving. He aligned the head of his growing member outside of the valve. "Don't worry though, _Commander_ … Steve will live. I just want him to suffer greatly."

"No…!" The weak mech squirmed. "Leave him alone…! Just take me and—AHH!"

"I will have you either way." Antaeus didn't leave any room for Starscream's pleas. He thrusted inside the valve rough and unforgiving. "This is just sweet minerals sprinkled on my energon… Uhn! You're surprisingly tight for a whore. Tell me… Does it feel good? Hm?"

The seeker merely buried his face into the berth. He wanted to scream, but he wasn't going to give his molester the satisfaction. However, he couldn't stop the consistent flow of his tears. The pain was so strong Starscream was almost certain the taller mech had torn something, but his valve stayed lubricated and his spike slowly started to pressurize. If he felt any pleasure from this it was because of the aphrodisiac, not from anything Antaeus did.

"Look ahead Starscream…" Antaeus slowly rotated his hips as he sat upward for more momentum. "Feel free to watch the video if it helps. In fact, take it all in and enjoy it, because that will be the last time you see a smile on his faceplate."

"Steve…" Starscream wept. "Steve… I'm sorry… I am so sorry…"

"Interesting." The drone smirked as he gradually started to slip the length of his spike back out nearly all the way to the tip, then slowly pushed it back into the hilt. "Tell me, what are you sorry for? If Steve could hear you right now… What would you tell him?" The seeker fell silent again, but Antaeus wasn't going to let up. He grabbed Starscream roughly by his hips and forced his spike further inside the valve. "Say it! I want to hear it!"

"AH! Steve I love you!" The second in command howled in agony. "I… I'm so sorry I never said it to you! I never knew how much I did until I turned you away! When I realized I had felt such a way for you it frightened me…! And like the coward that I am… I pushed you away. Even if it was for your own safety, I should've at least said I love you once… If only just once…"

"Aww… How sweet." Antaeus revved his engines, indicating his libido was draining his patients. With his arms he slid under Starscream's frame and lifted him against his own. As the seeker mewled from the shift in position, the mech behind him pointed to the holo-screen ahead of them. "Go ahead and say it again. He just might hear you…"

Through a forced lust filled haze, Starscream's optics followed the Eradicon's servo to the other side of the room. His helm lurched in shock when he noticed the lens of a camera gazing back at him. "Wha?! What are you—?!"

He screamed as soon as Antaeus wrapped his arms around the distraught seeker's chassis and waist. The drone violently started thrusting into Starscream and made sure the full front of his body was entirely exposed. "Smile Commander…" Antaeus grunted. "Your lover can see you…"

"N-NO!" Starscream did the best he could to thrash and try to escape from the taller mech's grasp, but because of the drug it was no use. "No! No Steve! D-don't look! Look away! Please! AH-HAH!"

The seeker was forced to stay in one place and had no choice but to endure all of Antaeus's abuse. There was no attention given to his spike or any of his wires. There were some obvious signs of his arousal, but there was just too much pain for him to focus on it fully. Plus he was just too humiliated to really care.

"How about you tell me how Steve touched you." The Eradicon tilted Starscream's helm to the side and started to lick the side of the seeker's neck. "I could copy his touch… Make you feel better…"

"Uhn! You… You can go straight to the Pits!" Starscream spat. He regretted his statement instantly when Antaeus's speed increased.

"Fine then!" The taller mech snarled. "Suffer through it!" Without warning Antaeus bit into Starscream's neck. The smaller flier cried again in pain as he felt the thick, warm liquid run past his neck-cables and down his chest. It became obvious that wasn't the only place the seeker was bleeding, when he felt the same sensation drip down the inside of his thighs.

"Steve…!" Starscream sobbed, the thoughts of his lover being his only source of comfort. "Steve…! Oh Steve…!"

Finally, Antaeus's gyrations became ridged and shallow. His overload was eminent and once it was achieved, it would be over. Starscream didn't care if he managed to find relief, he just wanted it to be done and over with. He got his wish after three last hard thrusts and was absolutely repulsed by the rushing feeling of transfluid shooting inside of him. The seeker cringed and convulsed in abhorrence. The warm liquid became so abundant it started to seep through the lips of his valve and trickled with a mix of bleeding energon down his thigh. Antaeus groaned and tightened his hold on Starscream, practically constricting the slimmer mech. And when the Eradicon had nothing left to offer, he dropped Starscream.

The seeker fell with dead weight onto his chest. He could feel Antaeus's now flaccid member slide out of him as he permitted himself to rest on the berth. Starscream still had an erection, and it was starting to hurt as it lingered on and on… But he just didn't care. He didn't want the drone to touch him anymore, so he balled his frame into a fetal position as best he could. He just wanted the drug to dissipate on its own, and rest. He could push past the pain as long as it meant Antaeus would stop touching him, but it was never going to happen as long as the Eradicon still called the shots.

"No…!" The seeker clasped the edge of the berth above his helm and with whatever strength he could gather. He feebly held onto it as Antaeus pulled the smaller mech's legs down and apart. "You got what you wanted… Just leave me be…! Please…!"

"But you haven't overloaded yet." The twisted drone leered over Starscream's spike with a sickening hungry look in his optics. "Just relax… Don't deny yourself a release. It's not healthy for seekers to ignore the symptoms of a heat cycle after all."

"I-I'm not on a heat cycle anymore…" Starscream whimpered. "What I'm going through right now… Is unnatural and it can dispel on its own if left alone."

"Perhaps it can…?" Antaeus pondered before he licked the tip of the spike. "But why risk it?"

"NO!" The smaller flier wailed when the drone swallowed his spike to the hilt. "No more! Please stop! Ah-hah! St-stop!" None of this was Starscream's fault. Not once did he ask to be violated in such away, but he still never felt more ashamed in his entire function. He didn't want to feel anything good from this monster. He didn't want to feel pleasure from his touch. All he wanted… Was Steve. Starscream wanted Steve in his embrace so much he thought his spark was going to extinguish. The best he was offered in place of his lover's physical presence was the constant looping video of his blackmail, but when his torment was finally over Steve was going to be next. Starscream couldn't let that happen. Not after the drastic lengths he went through to protect the Vehicon from Megatron. If it took the seeker's last intake, he would find away to protect his precious drone from Antaeus as well.

" _Starscream…"_ Steve's voice sang heavenly into Starscream's audio receptor, adding a natural feeling of ecstasy to his frame. _"I love you… Know that I love you…"_

"I do know Steve…" He smiled weakly at the holo-screen. He began to pant heavily as Antaeus bobbed his helm up and down the throbbing erection, but the seeker's focus remained with Steve. Before he climaxed, Starscream reached for the video. "I do know... Uh! I… I just wish _you_ still did…"

 **-END-**


	5. Chapter 5

Hello everyone! The Autobots have returned! And they brought a new friend with them. Sorry this one turned into a two part chapter, but there is a lot I have planned for this part of the story. But don't worry, there is plenty more smut, angst, and happy times to come. I'm also introducing one last OC, excluding random drones of course, and I'm sorry if her introduction seems a little rushed. I was kind of half a sleep at the time.

No special shout outs here, but please feel free to review and comment. Also, don't forget to have fun.

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 20.2 Part 1

Autobots: New Arrival

Ratchet was the first to wake from recharge. He thought that Optimus was awake before him when he felt his large black servo glide up and down the medic's arm, but then he remembered the Prime did that in his slumber sometimes. Ratchet loved this part of the day. To him it meant that even in his recharge, Optimus would still reach out for him. It made the medic feel safe, when he didn't know he needed to feel safe. Sometimes he wondered if his leader knew this, and he subconsciously did this to ease the white mech's tension. Whatever the reasoning behind it, it did the trick every time. Very carefully (or as careful as a bulky mech like Ratchet could be) he twisted his frame around, so his front aligned with Optimus's. He pulled himself closer to the larger mech's frame, then buried his faceplate into the Prime's chassis. He also laced his arm around the arch of his lover's back and gently traced his digits along the silver metal. Still in his recharge Optimus returned the touch with his own embrace. He sighed heavily as his arm tightened around Ratchet's back, indicating he was at peace with the switch in position.

However, the medic's skilled fingers were not quite ready to settle just yet. They lingered for a moment over a couple of seems before they gently dipped into a thin crevasse. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to continue his ministrations, he just really wanted to keep touching his lover. Eventually touching graduated to kissing and delicate nipping along the edges of Optimus's windshields. Ratchet earned another drawn out sigh with an edge of his deep rumbling voice resonating through his chest. This only encouraged the white mech to increase his teasing and he pulled the Prime even tighter against his now heating body. He wasn't planning on riling himself up so early after waking up, but the way Optimus was moaning from his caresses was just too tempting to ignore. Or to the medic he was just never so easily tempted like this. He momentarily thought that maybe he was in the mitts of a heat cycle, but that couldn't be the case. Ratchet was very careful with monitoring his cycles. He wasn't as young as he used to be, so his cycles were growing further and further apart from each other. And as much as he loved his bond-mate Ratchet wasn't quite ready, or willing to get sparked in the middle of a still ongoing civil war… And if the war ever ended, he still might never consider it. Not anymore.

"Ratchet…" Optimus stirred in his recharge, calling out for his lover as his frame began to heat along with Ratchet's.

 _"I can hear you Optimus…"_ The white mech responded through their bond to be sure the Prime stayed in his sleep. _"Tell me what you want…"_

 _"The answer will always be you…"_ The taller mech replied the same way, but to him he was still dreaming. All of this was being received as if it was a good flux, and Ratchet wanted it to stay that way. Optimus rarely got the chance to have an extended rest cycle, and the medic knew if he could bring him to overload the Prime would be too tired to open his optics so soon… Or that was just Ratchet's excuse and he was sticking to it.

 _"As you desire… My love…"_ His spark whispered as the servo on Optimus's back slid down to briefly cup his aft. The Prime circled his hips into the touch and waited for Ratchet's servo to move further, and he wasn't disappointed. The medic's greyish black digits slipped back up around his mate's waist and slid over the now burning modesty cover. Ratchet's air vents hitched at the sensation of heat over his sensitive calluses, which in turn pinged a signal to his own cod piece. He ignored it and focused entirely on Optimus and his wants. After a few decent pressured strokes, the panel clicked open, and the Prime's spike pressurized into Ratchet's palm.

Oh, to be young again, he thought to himself as the length of his mate's member glided up the underside of his servo. His digits trailed up and down the base of the spike, teasing his lover a little more before properly gripping its girth and stroking it in tandem to Optimus's shallow intakes. Ratchet smiled when the larger mech unconsciously pushed into his lover's grasp, eagerly chasing the sensation for more friction.

Optimus groaned again, but the rumbling of his vocals was the downfall for the medic, and his valve and spike paneling clicked open with little restraint. Even as lubricants drizzled down his thigh, and his spike pressurized alongside Optimus's, he ignored his own desperate need to be touched. He kept the pace of his servo steady and became so lost in his concentration he hardly noticed the servo behind his back making its way down his own aft. Not until he felt his top thigh being pulled over Optimus's hip. His optics flashed brightly when that same servo slid back and felt two of the Prime's digits slip up into his valve. Ratchet gasped and shuttered from the intrusion then watched his hot exhaust fog over Optimus's windshield through half lit optics.

"Ch-Cheeky young mech…!" He heaved. "Have you been online this whole time…?"

"Maybe next time you should ask?" The red and blue mech smirked, enjoying how Ratchet moved closer to his frame. "And please do so next time. I would feel guilty if I was the only one whom found release." With that confession he pushed his digits further into the white mech's valve, provoking him to moan loudly in a newfound wanton desire.

"O-Optimus…" He shivered. "Wait… The others will wonder where we are… They will be up soon and… Ah!"

"And they can wait." Optimus carefully switched their positions, so he was once more above his bond-mate. His engines growled as he gazed down at Ratchet's flushed faceplate. The medic's lip-plates parted and quivered through short bursts of exhaling exhaust. The heat rippled past the Prime's jawline as he leaned further down, and it almost seemed he was preparing to kiss those inviting dermas. Ratchet even inched his helm up to meet Optimus halfway, but instead his leader listed to the side and he began to taunt the medic's audio fin. The combination of his leader reinserting his digits into the medic's valve and his receptor being traced with a very talented glossa was almost too much for Ratchet. His processor clouded over, and he panted in desperation. His optics misted with pleasure and his vocals crackled with light static while the Prime's thumb circled over his anterior node.

 _"I'm not done keeping you to myself yet…"_ Optimus called out again through their bond since his oral cavity was currently busy. _"Besides… You started this…"_

"T… Typical youngling response…" Ratchet griped, but immediately snapped his helm upward when his mate found a sensory node in the back of his valve. Upon instinct he widened his leg struts and clutched the sides of Optimus's arms. "Optimus…! Don't let me overload again… I'll… Hah! I'll f-fall back into recharge…!"

"And you deserve a well cycled rest." The Prime smiled as he closed his optics and rested his fore-helm against his lovers'. "Or is that what you were trying to do for me?"

"O… Op-timus…" The white mech's face glowed blue while Optimus's digits hit the same spot over and over again. Ratchet felt like he was now drowning in his lust, and he could no longer see beyond his ever growing need to be ravished again. He wanted to touch and be touched. He needed to connect with his bond mate again so badly it was nearly painful, but one thing he wasn't ready to do was beg for it.

And his leader wasn't going to linger and keep the stubborn mech he loved waiting. "I love you…" He whispered before he kissed Ratchet tenderly. Then he removed his fingers from the medic's dripping valve so he could replace them with the head of his spike. Optimus pushed his hips forward slowly, while he circled his glossa intently; happily devouring every sound that emanated from Ratchet's oral cavity. He to groaned as he pushed further inside the valve, but because the two of them had overloaded together the night before, the two mech's were both very sensitive. If Optimus wasn't careful, he would lose control too soon, and he would rather lose himself with his partner rather then before… But that was going to be difficult for them both.

The Prime broke the kiss with an unintentional, yet exaggerated gasp. His frame rattled from his restraint, but when his spike reached the hilt of his pelvic plating Ratchet made an odd whimpering sound. Optimus pulled back slightly; fearing he may have accidently hurt his lover. "Are you alright?" He huffed with concern.

"Oh… Y-yes…" Ratchet slid a servo around the back of his mate's helm. "I'm still… A little sensitive from last night… I'm sorry… I don't think I will last much longer…"

"Honestly, I don't think I will either…" Optimus's smile widened and he stroked one of his servos down his beautiful lover's humid hot metal. All the way to his hips. In return, his bond-mate's free arm wrapped around the Prime's slimmer waist and traced his digits over the younger mech's seams.

 _"If that's the case… Then don't hold back…"_ The white mech whispered through their bond. _"Take me Optimus… I wish to receive all you have to offer…"_

"As you desire… My love…" The taller mech chuckled before he knelt up on his knee joints. He didn't give much warning to his intentions except for his arms hooking under Ratchet's thighs.

"AH-HAH! O-Optimus!" The medic cried when Optimus started thrusting his spike rapidly inside the wet valve. Ratchet's arms fell above his helm and one of them gripped the edge of the berth for his dear function. The mesh walls of his valve constricted around the hard member that swiftly struck every node and reached all the way to the back of his gestation lock. His processor melted into a jumbled mess of ecstasy, and if he had any control over his vocalizer it was lost entirely that very moment. "Yes! AH! D-Don't stop!"

That was as far as Optimus could go. The sound of Ratchet willingly pleading for him had always been his weakness, and he truly wished he could've held his composure for the white mech a little longer. But the feeling of abundant and warm transfluid rushing inside of Ratchet was just the push he needed to fall along with his younger lover. His back arched over the berth and his own transfluid splashed over his torso. His body trembled from the wave of electricity that flew through and around his metal. The warm tingling sensation that trailed up his spinal struts caused his optics to briefly roll in the back of his helm. He quickly shut them tight and hoped that Optimus didn't see his embarrassing spasm.

The Prime did see it, but he was also occupied with his own uncontrollable tremors. When his knees could no longer support his shaking he nearly fell on top of Ratchet's chassis, but he caught himself by holding out his servo for support. Yet when he was finally spent, Optimus gently lowered himself over his lover's broad heaving chest. The two of them laid there for a long time shaking and huffing through their rapid paced cooling vents. Optimus was the first to collect himself and as he lifted upward, he gently pulled his spike out of Ratchet's valve.

The medic moaned from the loss of contact, but he knew that his leader needed to prepare himself for the day. He also knew that they probably should never have interfaced at all that morning, but what was done is done, and if Ratchet was honest with himself, he had no complaints.

"Hmm…" Optimus hummed while he nuzzled his helm against his mates'. "We really need to have a wash…"

"I… I don't even have the strength to open my optics… I'm so tired now…" Ratchet sighed but took it upon himself to kiss the side of the taller mech's faceplate.

The Prime smiled warmly and kissed the medic back chastely over his lip-plates. "And whose fault is that?" There was no answer. Ratchet fell deeply back into recharge and left his lover alone in the room. "I guess it might be mine." He chuckled and slowly slipped off of the berth. He was also tired, but once he opened his optics, he knew that there was no way he would be able to fall back into his own recharge. Plus, the rest of his team would be stirring from their dormitories soon, and one of the few perks the Prime kept to himself was his early morning wash routine.

The base wash racks weren't anything grand, but with what little they had to work with the Autobots' could actually get a very decent clean and polish. The only real issue with the racks was the fact that it was so small, and like a good handful of Cybertronians the Autobot crew didn't mind sharing the racks at one time. There was nothing wrong with making a wash area communal, but Optimus enjoyed getting up early enough in the morning to have the room alone. It was quiet and peaceful despite the cool morning chill, and it gave the Prime just the right atmosphere to be alone with his thoughts for a time.

He didn't linger for two long, however. He just cleaned off the worse of transfluid and grime off his front, but while he rinsed the cleansing solution from his frame Optimus allowed himself to linger in the warm spray. His thoughts briefly filled with his plans for the day. What he was going to study or archive, who would go on patrol and what time, when he would leave and for how long, and all of this pending if Ratchet didn't find any activated Cybertronian devices or a new energon signal. Once he had covered everything, Optimus let his thoughts drift back to his bond-mate. He thought it was rather strange how handsy Ratchet had been this morning. Not that the medic never made his own advances on the Prime before, but this was slightly different. It was almost as if he was on a mission or had an agenda to fill.

However, Optimus gently shook his helm, deciding that he was perhaps overthinking the situation. He turned off the water after another two minutes had passed and shook his frame of any lose droplets before standing beneath the air vent. His frame was still misting when he walked out of the washroom and headed for the main area. He passed his room again, noticing that his door hadn't shut completely. So, he stopped to close it properly, but also peered in through the slit in the door jam. Ratchet was still recharging, and he had shifted in his rest. The Prime could see his face from the angle his lover had settled in. The medic's cheeks luminated under his closed optics and every so often he would sigh in satisfaction.

"Optimus…" He mumbled in his sleep as he did from time to time. Every time he did, and his leader was around to hear it the Prime's spark would pulse sweetly. There were so many simple yet pleasing things in life that Optimus didn't keep for himself, or he just denied himself these things. Almost as if he felt he didn't deserve such simple pleasures, but Ratchet is and has always been the exception to this personal verdict. Optimus knew he loved Ratchet even before the idea of him becoming a Prime existed. The only reason he didn't try to act on these feelings so soon was because his inexperienced mind at the time feared they wouldn't be reciprocated. In fact, the young Orion Pax believed Ratchet may have been in a relationship with another mech at the time. Optimus even suspected that this was the piece of the medic's past he was trying to hide away, and he just didn't want his mate to know the identity of his former lover. This made sense and was the main reason the Prime didn't push for a confession, but he also felt it didn't matter. In the end of it all, Ratchet was his. His oldest and dearest friend had chosen to stay by his side and would always come back to him. That is why Optimus would always treasure his lover, and never take their bonding for granted.

Before Ratchet turned over on his opposite side, he mumbled his bond-mate's name once more, while releasing another relieved sigh of peace. The door finally closed and latched shut with a very pleased smile etched over the Autobot leader's face. It stayed there even as he walked away and even allowed it to remain when he entered the main area. It faded however into a confused grimace when he saw a stranger standing on the landing and was casually toiling over the console that was still operable to humans. The stranger, a young woman upon close inspection, hadn't noticed the Prime had entered the room, which was odd. Optimus wasn't trying to make any particular noise, but he knew that the stride of his pedes were not light enough to be subtle by any means. Cautiously, he stepped closer to the landing, but did his best not to appear threatening.

"Excuse me?" He questioned curiously as he got closer, but the woman still hadn't noticed the bot behind her. So, to finally get her attention Optimus delicately tapped his digit on the landings rail. The young woman felt the sudden jolting below her feet and quickly removed a pair of ear buds from the cover of her silky black hair. She didn't turn around, but she did glance from side to side, and even peered down at her feet.

"Oh shit…" She muttered to herself. "Don't tell me I arrived here just in time for an earth quake?"

"No, but if you are not aware, you are currently residing in the middle of a secret military base." Optimus answered her. He felt there was no point in trying to hide. She was already in the base, so what was the point in trying to be discreet.

Once the strange woman heard the Prime speak, she jumped slightly. Startled, she spun around to see Optimus staring at her curiously. He wasn't expecting her to smile and sigh in relief, as if she was aware that he would just randomly show up eventually. But that's exactly what she did, and she even laughed a little before explaining herself. "It's not really a secret if you know what the secret is."

The young woman briefly turned away to set aside a clipboard she had apparently been taking notes on. She left everything upright and in plain sight, making it obvious she had nothing to hide. "Optimus Prime I presume?" She questioned while she folded her hands behind her back. "Forgive my intrusion, but Agent Fowler had informed me that there was a chance you would all be asleep, and I didn't want to disturb anyone this early in the morning."

"I maybe inclined to express my clemency, if I knew who I was extending such understanding too?" The metallic titan quirked an optic ridge as he looked the casual acting woman over. She was tall and well dressed in a dark blue blazer and neatly pressed suit pants. Her ebony hair appeared to be shoulder length, but the way it was blown out into a well-styled wave it may be a bit longer. The dark shade of her hair illuminated the pale alabaster skin on her face, which in turn lit up her wide emerald eyes. Optimus made a note to himself that she had very nice eyes, merely as a truthful observation. They were a very pretty shade of green, encased in a shroud of long eyelashes molded by her wide diamond shaped sockets. She smiled with light red lips when she notices the bot was checking her out, but she understood that he would be making his own assumptions of her.

"You're right," she giggled, "I'm sorry for being so rude. I should've introduced myself right away." Before continuing her explanations, she stood upright and saluted the Prime in a very well-practiced manner. "I am Captain Silvia Bella of the US army Nevada division. I am your new liaison."

"New liaison?" Optimus asked. "Has Agent Fowler reprieved?"

"Huh?" The woman now known as Silvia tilted her head with her hand still positioned over her hairline. "Oh! No, nothing like that. He will still be a big part of your contact to the outside world. However, after some of our higherups got wind that civilian children have become aware of your presence, they felt it necessary to send some additional help. I'm merely here as a secondary buffer, to make sure the children stay safe while in your… Custody isn't the right word. What's the one I'm looking for?"

"We would call it protection." The giant answered her again. He didn't intend to sound irritated, but it was rather insulting that no one from the government even tried to contact them about this matter ahead of time. Silvia picked up on the Prime's subtle distain and she quickly waved her hands in the air defensively.

"Oh geez! I'm sorry!" She grinned awkwardly. "That came out the wrong way! I never meant to suggest you were not capable taking care of the children. In fact I have studied the case file on this matter very thoroughly and I didn't think I was even needed."

"Then why are you here at all?" Optimus continued his questioning, but returned to his usual patient self. Silvia shrugged as she bit her bottom lip.

"Well, the files we have on you and your team are very lacking to say the least." She scratched the side of her head as she tried to choose her words carefully. "I'm not just the Captain of my division, I'm also a well renowned cultural anthropologist. I became very interested in how your culture worked and how your group functions as a team, but there are so many questions that are just being ignored and swept under the rug." The young woman looked back at Optimus with a very serious look in her eyes. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but… I just really wish to understand you and your team better. When the Attorney General brought this case too my attention I knew it was the perfect opportunity to finally meet and speak to you all. I assure you though, my curiosity is strictly professional…"

"So your not even here for the children at all?" The Prime was becoming even more confused, but wasn't quite ready to dismiss Silvia entirely. So he softly blinked his optics and allowed her to continue her clarifications.

"It's not my full motive, no." Silvia huffed, but spoke honestly. "But I have also received files on the children, and learned a whole lot more about them then I have about your team. But the children are human with very extensive social media pages to study, which I actually find alarming. Anyone can see these pages if they take the time to look them up, and with the ever present threat of MECH… It really does concern me, but if you see fit to allow me to stay I promise that the children's well being will be my first priority."

"You are a stranger Miss Bella." Optimus stared back at emerald eyed girl with just as much intensity. "How can I trust anything that you say?"

"I have my credentials right here with me." Silvia pulled out a wallet from the top pocket in her blazer. Flipping it open she pointed to her military ID, proving her the claim of her status. "But if this is not enough to convince you can always call and talk to Fowler. He knows I'm here, but keep in mind when you speak with him about it he won't sound entirely thrilled of the situation."

"Why is that?" As if the bot really needed to ask.

"Because Agent Fowler is what people in my division call 'old combat'. He has been in the military for so long he prefers things done a certain way, and he can get a little defensive when someone tries to step on his dick."

There was a lot in that statement that Optimus wanted to ask about, but his first concern was figuring out if he could or if he should trust Silvia by mostly her word alone. So far she seemed honest and she didn't give him any reason to truly doubt her, but the Prime also knew that he had been too trusting in the past. As a result, his team members had been hurt. Some more then others. However, in the end, he sighed gently and gave the strange woman an ultimatum.

"If your government sees fit to add an additional agent to our roster I really don't have much say in the matter… But considering that you have addressed this change of events to me more as a choice rather then an order, I will concede to this change in dynamic. May I request a compromise to this decision?"

"You may." The woman bowed her head respectfully.

"I request that you are monitored and surveyed for the first two months you are here." The giant bot also tipped his helm. His bright optics closing in his relaxed manor. "You are never to be in a room with equipment, weapons, or supplies by yourself. I humbly ask that you confine yourself to remaining in the company of at least one Autobot at a time. Just as you know very little of us Miss Bella, we in turn know very little of you… And we have been deceived before. I will not allow that to happen here again."

Silvia nodded as she listened to the Prime's request. "I understand, and your request sounds very reasonable. But don't you think two months might be a little bit extreme?"

"It is nonnegotiable." Optimus had made up his mind in letting the young Captain stay and not fight the government branch that had ordered such a change. But if he was going to be given the chance to set his own terms to this new development, he was going to take full advantage of it. Of course he wasn't really looking forward to explaining all of this to the rest of the team. Ratchet in particular. He was not going to happy to hear that another human was going to be occupying the Autobot base. "Do we have an understanding?"

"If that is what will make you all most comfortable then so be it." Silvia surrendered with a slow sigh. "But you should know of one more thing before we really settle on any solid or permanent terms."

"Such as?"

"The third tier of this base is a part of the old military dormitories. For the soldiers that worked in the silo during the Cold War." She pointed up to the higher landing above the loft and quirked an off smile. "I will be residing in these dorms. Or to put it simply, I will be moving into the base."

Optimus's faceplate remained placid to this announcement, and he did a good job of hiding his true thoughts behind it. _'Ratchet is going to be thrilled.'_

 **-To Be Continued-**


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everybody! I know I said this one was going to be a two part story, but it looks like this one might bleed into a three parter. Sorry, but I kind of like the way this going so I'll be lingering on it for a little while. In this chapter we learn a thing or two about Silvia, Miko gets some good news, and Ratchet develops some serious thrill issues. Brace yourself, because this one bounces a little… And I'm sorry there's no smut in this one. Hang on to your tissues though (talking about you Cao), there is more to come in the next one.

No special shout outs here, but don't hesitate to comment and ask questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 20.2 Part 2

Autobots: New Arrival

Silvia made herself quite comfortable during the three weeks she took to settle in, and Optimus was glad to find he, at first, worried over nothing. When he introduced her to the rest of the team everyone had a different, but positive reaction. Bumblebee was naturally curious and intrigued to have a new member of the team and almost immediately started asking questions about who Silvia is. He rambled so much that Bulkhead joked that he must've switched personalities with Miko. The large green mech in turn had questions about for the, in his words, pretty young lady before them. Silvia laughed, and answered every curiosity to the best of her knowledge until merely a few minutes later, Arcee arrived to start her morning patrol. She saw the ebony haired girl, asked who she was and why she was there, and when she was satisfied with the replies she received, the usually suspecting feme extended her polite greetings before finally leaving to complete her daily duties.

However, Ratchet met the new arrival around the same time as the children. He knew of Silvia's presence ahead of time from Bumblebee, whom had left the main area to have a quick wash. The medic was already finishing up before the youngest mech on their team practically bounced into the room. His vocals whirled and beeped excitedly as he rushed to rinse himself down. Ratchet couldn't help but grin at his younger team mate was in such an enthusiastic hurry he didn't even take the time to properly clean the inside of his seams. The white mech literally needed to hold Bumblebee in place and tell him to calm down because he was acting like a youngling. Though the yellow bot pouted at such a comment, he still lamented and slowed himself down. He continued to talk about the new arrival, and the medic lingered to listen and even helped Bumblebee clean the crevasses he couldn't reach on his back. Through the young model, Ratchet learned that Silvia was a part of the same branch in the army as Fowler. He was a little giddy to know that she even out ranked the agent, but until Ratchet met this mysterious new arrival himself, he wasn't going to except the entirety of her existence to the team.

He entered the main area of the base just in time to see the children, minus Jack, encircled around the strange woman. Miko was muttering a mile a minute. Asking hundreds of questions and not leaving enough room for her to answer them. Silvia sat in one of the office chairs and patiently waited for the tiny girl to take a breath. Raff was just as intrigued as Miko, but he could wait his turn. He sat in a chair opposite of the Captain and he toiled with his laptop as he smiled and kicked his legs in the air.

Again, Ratchet learned more about Silvia through the others in the room. Mostly from Miko. Once the overzealous girl finally came up for air, the strange woman explained all that she could before Miko found her second wind. She described her education, her army career, the reason she was there all in light detail. As she described herself, she was an anthropologist, a psychologist, a martial arts expert, and even a sports car enthusiast. All of that, topped of with a very decent military career, but Ratchet had some suspicions about her claims. Considering what the white mech knew about human life spans, he thought Silvia looked a little young to be so educated and already placed in such a high rank. Then again, if she was as smart as she claimed she was, it wouldn't be too surprising that she climbed the hierarchy so quickly. Ratchet still wasn't thrilled to know that there was going to be another human hanging around the base, and he nearly blew a circuit when she announced she was going to be living in the third floor soldier housing. He was on the verge of putting his ped down in protest, before his bond-mate placed his servo over his chassis. Through their bond he encouraged his lover that this was the right course of action. At least for now.

Two days after Silvia's arrival, Jack introduced his mother to team Prime in a very unpredictable manner. As much as it didn't sit well with Ratchet, it also drove Silvia into making some drastic changes to the children's safety. The medic even liked some of these ideas she had, mostly because it was giving Miko a bit of a hard time.

"What do you mean no social media!" The thin little girl shouted as Silvia sat across the room, studying a manila file in her hand. Ratchet couldn't help but smirk despite the shrill sound of Miko's dismay. "I still talk to my parents over Facebook! Long distance calls are expensive you know!"

"I'm not doing this to cut you off from your family Miko." Silvia didn't even look up from her reading to acknowledge the teenager's tantrum. "This is for your safety and wellbeing. Plus, I did not say no social media entirely. If you guys suddenly fall off the grid out of nowhere, it would look rather… Suspicious, for a lack of a better word. But from now on you need to be careful about what you post. Anything that ends up on social sites are going to be monitored through a military data base, and if you leave anything on there that can expose you or your location it will be blocked. And of course, you can continue to talk to your parents in the PM servers. But please let me know ahead of time when you do."

"Hey! I may still be using a social medium for communication, but I'm still entitled to my privacy!" Miko crossed her arms and continued to pout. "You don't need to know everything I say to my family!"

The Captain remained calm, but she also nodded. Giving the younger girl the idea, she wasn't being ignored. "Your conversations will remain private sweetness. I just want to time stamp them. Make sure we know where you are and what you're doing at the time."

"Bulkhead is more then capable of covering my protection!" Ratchet had finally found a rhythm through the project he was working on, and for the most part tuned out the tiny girls whining. But he still kept a small interest on the conversation and listened in lazily. He nearly snorted when Miko started turning too Jack in attempt to gain reinforcements. "Help me out here Jack! Your social life is at stake here too!"

"It was because of my social life my mom was kidnapped and used against me." Jack responded in a careful tone. He didn't agree with Miko in the slightest, but he understood why she would be upset and didn't want her to think he was angry. "I'm sorry Miko, but I agree with Captain Bella… And as much as I respect and rely on Arcee, she was caught up in this crossfire too. I want to make sure she stays safe as well. Heck, I might even cancel my social accounts."

Miko huffed before she quickly turned to face Raff. He didn't really show any general interest in this fight, so he and Bumblebee busied themselves with a racing game. "What about you Raff?" She momentarily paused their game for them. "Don't you find any of this a little unfair?"

"Not really." The shortest team member shrugged. "I don't even have a Facebook account."

Everyone with the exception of Silvia and Ratchet turned to glance curiously at Raff. The young computer prodigy was a bit of an introvert, but it was a bit of a surprise to find out he had no social outlet aside from his cell phone. Miko's shock, however, was quickly dissolved back into frustration. Frustration over the fact that she was now defeated. She threw herself into the nearest seat and griped over her crossed arms. "Fine…!" She grumbled and did her best to ignore Ratchet's quite chortling.

"Good." Silvia finally stood and walked over to where Miko had landed. She sat across from the tantrum-tired girl and smiled with a file in her hand. A file with Miko's picture paper clipped to the outside of it. "Now I'll get on with the vegetable of this carrot and stick scenario."

"What?" Miko quirked a brow, and her puffed out hair buns bounced as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Just let me explain sweet girl." The green-eyed woman patted the girl's hand while she still smiled. "It's actually about your host housing here in Nevada. How often do your host parents know you're here?"

"They never know I'm here." Miko knew this was a trick question, and she wasn't going to fall for it. "I know better then that. I like keeping Bulkhead to myself."

"Of course. Of course." Silvia nodded and thumbed through the file. "But how often do you inform them you're leaving the house at all?"

"Almost never." The miffed little girl said that with nearly no restraint. "I have trained my host parents to fear me… Now I do as I please."

"I appreciate the honesty." Silvia's smile never faltered, which eventually made Miko feel a little nervous. "It'll be good for you to continue telling me the truth, because the truth of this matter is that you cannot keep disappearing on the people who are caring for you. But because you made this such a habit even before you met the Autobots, your host parents have been put under investigation from social services. There is a very, very, very, high chance you will not be permitted to stay in their custody."

"Wait… Wh-What does that mean?!" Miko sat up right, the tinge of fear in her voice catching Ratchet's attention again. "You're not saying their planning on taking me out of the education abroad program?! Am I going to be sent back to Japan?!"

"It was a very close call." The ebony haired woman tapped the manila file on Miko's knees. "Lucky for you I pulled some strings and convinced the service board that you're 'under the radar' behavior was a result of negligence, not just you being a little shit." Miko didn't appreciate the title but didn't argue against it either. It was kind of true after all.

"So… What does this mean?" She blinked. "Am I still staying in Jasper at least?"

"More then that." Silvia eventually set the folder aside and held the tiny girls' hands in her own. "I managed to convince both my superior officers and the social service center here in town that it would be in everyone's best interest… If you were placed into my custody."

Ratchet immediately dropped the wrench he picked up and his optics widened in shock. "Oh no…" He shook his helm in denial and the sudden rise of dread through his EM field caused Bumblebee to jitter from concern.

"Oh yes." Silvia responded with a bright, almost sinister smile. She and Ratchet repeated each other until Miko finally caught on to what it all meant.

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes."

"No, no, no…"

"YES!" Miko shouted in triumph as she leapt from her seat. "I get to live in the base!"

"That's right." The Captain laughed when Miko began to dance in place. "When Bulkhead gets back from his patrol duties, he will take us to your host home, and I will help you get your things. But there are going to be some serious ground rules while you are living here, and we will go over them as soon as we get you settled in."

Everyone gathered around Miko. Raff high-fived her, Jack congratulated her, and Bumblebee whistled excitedly for her. Ratchet on the other hand was too stunned to really do anything but walk away with his digits pinching the bridge of his helm between his optics. "Take me now Primus…"

Three weeks later everything seemed to have fallen into place, despite Ratchet's skepticism of Miko moving in. Silvia had been doing a decent job of keeping the rebellious girl on a decent length leash. Miko was given privileges free range of the base but was set with just the right amount of boundaries to not be a nuisance. The Captain had even made time to help Miko with her homework. Her grades improved dramatically over the past couple of weeks, and she even developed enough confidence to join the swim team… Never mind the fact she would be the _only_ girl on the team. Inevitably, it was a nice change of pace for Bulkhead. It was refreshing to pick Miko up late after school because of a sports program rather then detention. He was very proud of Miko's change in dynamic, and it made him very happy she had more time to rock out with him on his off time.

Ratchet also had to admit that he was impressed with how Silvia was helping around the base. She eventually made it known to him that she also had a few questions she wanted to ask about the Autobots and Cybertronians in general. He appreciated how she didn't just jump into her questionnaire and waited for an appropriate amount of time to go by before she brought it up. Silvia was very selective with her questions, and she didn't appear to be shy about them either. In fact, right after Bulkhead's incident with the Data Cylinder, Silvia had actually moved on to the more personal questions. Such as procreation.

The medic wasn't exactly shy about answering the human's curiosity, but her timing on the subject could've been a little better. Once Ratchet had organized all of the templates Bulkhead had written data down with, he went straight to work in developing what he suspected was synthetic energon. Every now and then Silvia would stop in when she thought he wasn't too busy and sometimes she would even be a bit of help. If there was something Ratchet needed but his servos were occupied with a certain task, she would offer to get it and bring it back to him. It even turned out Silvia was a surprisingly strong woman, and would often times bring the medic some of his larger tools. Often the ones he had set on the opposite side of the room.

Again, she was patient and waited for the right time to ask questions and lingered to receive answers. Ratchet even took a few open opportunities to ask Silvia a few questions about her. She never avoided any of them, but sometimes the white mech felt she wasn't giving him a full explanation. He learned that before she was assigned the position at the base, she had worked for another team in Las Vegas, of all places. She spoke rather fondly of her previous position, which was actually a military crime lab, and joked that the show on CBS was actually based off her team. However, when Ratchet tried to ask why she left, Silvia would go quiet. After a moment of silence passed, she would bite her bottom lip and smile weakly.

"I just felt it was time to move on." That was the best answer he got, and because she was being so kind and up front about her research, Ratchet decided he would extend the same courtesy to her. Silvia had never given him any reason to doubt her so far, and she was very good listener. Often times when the two of them were alone in the base, their conversation would trail off into how Ratchet was feeling and how he wished he did more to contribute to the team. She didn't judge, she didn't comment, or even try to fix the problem the medic was having. Silvia just listened and only commented on things when Ratchet sincerely asked for an opinion. It was very helpful, but Ratchet's feelings of self-doubt were very strong.

So strong, that when he finally produced a prototype of the synthetic energon, he tested it on himself right away in an attempt to quickly get results his team desperately needed. Both Raff and Silvia were the first to find the white mech unconscious, and from the second Ratchet awoke from his black out, the old bot hit the ground running. He increased his strength, speed, and attitude in one day. Arcee witnessed his transformation first hand, followed by the rest of the team at the end of the mission. The medic appeared in a flash and virtually saved the day, fighting off a multitude of Eradicons and scaring Breakdown and Knockout into a retreat.

"Hooh-ah!" He cried triumphantly in total awe of his comrades, including Optimus. When they returned to base, the old model was still acting like a youngling. Excitedly announcing his discovery of what he called 'Synth-N', and proudly passing a sample jar to Arcee.

"From the data Bulkhead transcribed?" She questioned after observing the jar, then passing it to Bumblebee. "I thought the formula was—?"

"Incomplete?" The medic interrupted her with a soft chuckle. "Not anymore."

Bumblebee lightly chirped, indicating he was impressed as he briefly ogled the jar before he too passed it on to the next bot. Bulkhead took the jar with an air of sarcasm but wasn't above giving his tone of approval as well. "So, Ratchet makes a better tough guy, then I do a smart guy?"

Finally, Optimus took the jar from Bulkhead. Silvia was watching everyone's reaction as the jar was handed off to each bot and wasn't surprised to see the concern glowing in the Prime's optics. She reflected the emotion, after she and Raff had discovered Ratchet on the floor of the base. Raff's young mind told him that everything was okay once the older mech stood and started speaking confidently, but the Captain wasn't so sure herself.

"Ratchet?" Optimus grimaced as he laced his digits over the green liquid. "I question the wisdom of using yourself as a test subject." The way the Autobot leader phrased his worries suddenly peeked Silvia's interest. Did she just detect a hint of biased favoritism in his voice? Her professional ear in psychology tried to listen in on this (to her at least) new development but was brought back to the situation at hand when Arcee brought up more of her input.

"Optimus, you didn't see Ratchet out there. He was in over-drive!" She sounded more excited then she really wanted to let on, but she was never really one to be enthralled so easily. "We should all try this stuff!"

"Or give Ratchet more, so we can take a vacation." Bulkhead chimed in, but Silvia didn't find the comment very funny and apparently Optimus thought the same thing.

"I agree that the results seem… Promising," he addressed as he stepped closer to Ratchet, "but I recommend that further testing be confined to machines… Not Autobots."

There it was again. That direct tone of singling out the nearest source, and it continued with an abundant amount of care. Interesting, the young woman thought to herself while trying to ignore the curious glances from Raff.

"Out numbered although we may be, old friend," the Prime continued, "we need a warrior in the laboratory right now, more then we need another in the field."

The look on Ratchet's face told Silvia everything she needed to know about what was going on between the medic and his leader. His helm didn't just tilt down in disappointment, he was heartbroken. Or according to her new found research, spark-broken. Ratchet didn't just value Optimus's approval, he was seeking it out, and when his leader didn't acknowledge the certain attention he reached out for, he showed signs that he felt rejected. All of these subtle movements and shallow vocal transitions might've gone unnoticed by the untrained mind, but Silvia saw and heard everything. And a small part of her was discouraged.

"Raff?" She turned away from the bots for only a moment to speak to the lone child. "Can you do something for me? Miko will be home from practice soon and I didn't prepare her before homework snack. Can you set that up for me? You can help yourself to some of the sweets in the kitchen cupboard if you do."

"You don't have to patronize me." Raff sighed but headed for the elevator anyway. "If you need me out of the room so you can speak bluntly, just say so next time."

Silvia giggled at the small boy's mild pouting and even waved at him as he left. But when she turned back to face the bots again, her gentle smile faded. "If it is alright with everyone, I would like to add something. May I?"

Everyone glanced at Optimus for the finale decision of the green-eyed woman's request. He nodded and observed Silvia walk over to the other side of the platform. She stood straight and stared at Ratchet. Her glare was a mix of discontent and concern.

"You fainted Ratchet." She stated without hesitation in her voice. "Both me _and_ Raff found you unconscious on the floor, and we had no idea what had happened to you..."

"Well I—."

"I'm not finished." Silvia didn't shout, but she was stern when Ratchet tried to interrupt her. All of the bots were surprised by her austerity, but nobody bothered to intrude on her statements now. "You couldn't see the look on that poor boy's face when he saw you lying there… Lifeless." She huffed and closed her eyes; agitated but unbound. "That little boy has nothing but respect for you, and with the exception of Bumblebee, he nearly worships the ground you tread on."

When Silvia reopened her eyes, she glared at the medic passionately on behalf of Raff's dismay. "I want you to remember that. I want you to think about the people and bots who care about you, before you make such a rash decision on your own like that. Without considering any consequences."

"Consequences?" Ratchet scoffed. "It was a minor side effect, and one I speculated could have happened. Though it wasn't planned—."

"It was still reckless and foolish for a mech your age to attempt at all." Silence was the only sound that followed Silvia's honesty. Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee all faded into the background and all three of them held in their intakes. Ratchet just stood there and returned the Captain's stare with his own unnaturally colored gaze. It was the battle of the green eyes, and both pairs of irises glowed intensely. One daring the other to make the first move. Fortunately, Optimus was the one to break the tension by standing in between them. His back faced Silvia, but she could still see the two bots' faces when they slowly turned to the side. The taller mech gazed at Ratchet with soft intentions and as a small amount of time went by his optics slightly narrowed. As if he was expecting a reaction from the shorter mech, like a response to a soundless conversation, but Ratchet just stood there. He didn't react to his mate in the slightest, and eventually became tired of what he perceived as a game of 'don't blink first'.

"It's late..." The stubborn mech jerked his frame towards the base entrance. "I'm still feeling a bit hyped up, so I'm going on a short patrol." Before Ratchet transformed to speed away, he looked over his shoulder to notice Optimus still standing in place. He didn't try to stop Ratchet. Not a move, not a word, nothing to indicate any protest from his lover, and it really disappointed him. "Tch. Or maybe a later one. I haven't decided yet. Either way… Don't wait up Optimus."

Then he sped off, leaving an entire room filled with confusion, apprehension, and a tinge of sadness. Arcee eventually shook her helm and quickly stated she was in desperate need of a wash, and Bulkhead suddenly remembered he would pick up Miko from her practice meet if he had time. Bumblebee whistled and cooed something inaudible to Silvia, but she guessed from his body language and posture that he just didn't want to be in the room any longer. So, he followed Arcee down the dormitory corridor, and at the same time Bulkhead also left the same way as Ratchet. Silvia continued to linger on the railing and watched Optimus take a long drawn out breath. She also heaved a little relieved by the sudden lift in tension.

"Forgive me Optimus." She extended her sudden remorse. "If I over stepped a boundary in any way, please know that it wasn't really my intention."

"You have nothing to apologize for." The Prime turned to face the Captain. His expression hanging as if in the process of deciding where it would land on. "I agree with you… I'm merely a bit taken aback by what transpired between Ratchet and I just now." His optics hazed over in deep thought and tilted his helm away from the confused woman before him. "Why didn't he hear me?"

Silvia knew that his question was rhetorical, but she answered anyway. If for nothing more than to satisfy her own curiosity and hoped for possibly more retort. "You didn't say anything."

"Exactly…"

 **-To Be Continued-**


	7. Chapter 7

AHHHH! Sorry about that… I'm just a little frustrated and oooooover worked right now. I just needed to get that off my chest… All in all, hi everybody! Sorry this one took so long, I had to rewrite it. I know I said there'd be some hanky-panky in this one, but I couldn't really find a place for it just yet, and I also said this would end as a three part story… But it looks like I've got a little more detail to add then I first planned. So, your all going to get a bonus four parter! Yay! XD

No shout outs in this one, but thank you everyone who posted a review, and don't be shy about commenting and asking questions. I love to hear from my readers.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 20.2 Part 3

Autobots: New Arrival

It was early morning when Ratchet finally decided he would return to the base. It was cold and still dark out while he skidded and sped down wide open roads. Despite everything that had happened before he left, the medic managed to find time to enjoy himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had… 'Fun' while he was in his vehicle mode. He felt exhilarated as he whooshed down abandoned desert backroads and twirled in the rising dust-trails he kicked up behind him. When he reached further into the desert it soon became apparent it had rained earlier in that region. His dust trails turned into wads of slinging mud that flew in every direction. Brown and red clumps of wet dirt clung to the white mech's frame and caked to his metal like clay, but he just didn't care. He felt so alive, young, vital… How could this new formula be such a bad thing? And what would Silvia even know about any of this? She is a human. A very young human at that, not an old Cybertronian that wakes every morning with an ache in the center of his spinal struts. He could understand why Optimus was concerned though, but he would come around. He had to… Ratchet needed him to.

Everything was quiet when Ratchet transformed to his biped mode in the main area. Everyone must've gone to recharge after the dispute from earlier. The medic didn't really expect anyone to be up this late unless they had to be, but he was kind of hoping his leader might've waited up for him. Then he shook his helm for having such a youngling thought and went over to his workstation to jot down a few notes. Ratchet was brief but thorough with his observations. So far, aside from passing out during the point of injection, Ratchet had not observed any other side effects. When he finished, he stared down at the floor and noticed the mess he trailed through the room. He laughed to himself, thinking how funny it was that he would always give his younger counterparts such a hard time for tracking in all sorts of dirt and debris. But let it not be said that Ratchet was a hypocrite, and he reached for the cabinet the bots kept there cleaning supplies in. He knew he would still leave a trail with the dirt still lingering on his body, but he would be back to get the rest of it later after his rest cycle. First, he wanted to clean up in the wash racks, and contemplate if he would recharge in Optimus's chambers or if he would just stay in his old quarters tonight. He hadn't used his own room since he and the Prime first bonded, but he wasn't sure if his lover was still upset with him or not. Before he left earlier, Ratchet tried to communicate with his mate through there bond, but he didn't reply. Was Optimus that angry with him?

When Ratchet finished his cleaning and put all of the supplies back, he sighed against the storage cabinet. Should he try and contact him through their bond one more time? Maybe he should wait until he cleaned his metal first. So, he lightly spun on his heals and headed for the wash racks. He momentarily thought he should have a cold wash since he was still feeling a tinge of heat lingering in his tanks. Which was normal after a long speed drive, and although Ratchet hadn't felt such a feeling in a long time, as a medic he knew this feeling should've dissolved by now. But, then again, he was still an old model, and he wasn't really going to worry about it yet. There could be a lot of reasons why his frame was warm after all.

The mud and clay over his body dried quickly while he walked down the dormitory corridor, but he slowed when he came to Optimus's chamber doors. They were closed properly, so Ratchet couldn't peer inside, though he wanted to. He wanted to at least get a glimpse of his lover, if for nothing more then to assure the Prime was there. Ever since he stormed out of the base, he hadn't been able to feel Optimus's presence. Not properly. There was just a small sliver of his mate's essence still pooling in the center of his spark chamber, but it felt like he was being pushed away. If Optimus didn't want to communicate through there bond it was possible for him to put up a barrier. It was unheard of to completely block off a spark-bonding, but it was beginning to make the white mech nervous. Perhaps this was a side effect of the Synth-N and it was somehow suppressing the telekinetic connection they shared. But Ratchet could still feel that small sliver fluttering in his chamber, so he wasn't going to panic just yet. He did try one last time to contact Optimus. If he was careful, he wouldn't disturb the Prime from his recharge.

 _"Optimus… Can you hear me?"_ The medic called out as he pressed his fore-helm against the door. He sighed sadly when time passed and there was still no response, but he closed his optics and tried again. _"Optimus…? Optimus…?"_ Still nothing… And he really hoped it was just a result of a side-effect. Not from Optimus ignoring him.

Before he slipped away, he tried to reach out once more and added whatever strength he could to push the signal further. _"I'm sorry we fought Optimus… I love you…"_ Nothing. His lover didn't reply to him in anyway, and Ratchet would've felt more disappointed if he hadn't already anticipated the possible outcome. He couldn't really do much about it now, but he made a serious mental note to himself that in the morning he would have to meet with Optimus privately and kiss his cheek in an attempt to apologize again.

"Things will be alright…" The green-eyed mech whispered as he once more walked towards the wash racks. "Optimus will see that… He has to see this is a good thing… I need him too."

Silvia decided to get an early start in her day despite all that had happened last night. Her first stop was the bases main storage unit, which the Autobots had emptied out and turned it into their recreation den. But above the large room was a high-rise built below a collection of electrical boxes and old monitor stations designed to control the environment inside the base. Now that there were humans currently taking residency in the base, Silvia was going to have to monitor and adjust these controls regularly. She was just about to enter through the standard door next to the bey doors but hesitated when she felt the floor shake beneath her. There was a continuous tremor that was constantly followed by the grunting and gasping sounds of an Autobot in physical motion. The Captain briefly wandered who was up so early to exercise, but the mystery was solved rather abruptly by the bot's overzealous victory call.

"Hooh-ah!" Ratchet spun on his servos before he landed upright on his pedes. He didn't notice Silvia walking in until she spooked him from behind.

"You're up early." She stood in place below the giants' feet, even as Ratchet twisted his frame to face the fearless woman. "What are you doing up right now? It's five in the morning. You and Optimus don't usually rise until seven."

"Good morning to you too Silvia." The medic huffed. "I could ask you the same thing. Are you always up at this hour?"

"Sometimes." She answered casually. Ratchet backed away to get a better look at the human, but Silvia had already started walking to the stairwell in the corner of the room. It was a large room, so it took a while for her to reach the wall at the far end, but to occupy herself she did her best to carry her conversation with the white bot. "Most of the time I'm up earlier. This base was founded sometime before the Cuban missile crisis back in the fifties."

"The fifties?" Ratchet tilted his helm. "My knowledge in human history is rather lacking, but I've heard Fowler mention the Cuban missile crisis before. He said it was a standoff between the US and the Soviet Union in 1962."

"Very good. You should help Miko with her history papers every once in a while." She snickered while climbing the first landing with a clipboard in hand. "And your right, but once mankind first figured out how to split the atom in the forties everyone was setting up shop and building their own missile silos. The one we currently reside in now has been standing since 1956, but it was decommissioned from military services in 1972. That is until you guys decided you needed a new hideaway." Silvia finally reached the top of the balcony and slipped a pen out of her clip board. As she moved along the length of the steel terrace, she gazed back down at Ratchet with a soft but stern look on her face. She still wasn't very happy about the way things turned out the night before, but she wasn't going to bring it up yet. It was still early after all. "Long story short Ratchet, this is a very old military base… Or at least old by human standards, and a lot of the equipment in here is just as old and out of date. All of this gear and tech needs to constantly be monitored and updated."

"Do you need any help?" The medic almost sounded legitimately invested. Part of him wanted to be more extending to the Captain, but even he was having recollections of their brief tiff.

"No thanks. I'm just here to check the air vents and cooling systems." She answered him while she slowly checked off her list. "Why are you even here? Don't you always go to your computer station when you wake up?"

"Normally yes. But I just have so much energy right now. I just really felt the need to work up some exhaust!" Ratchet smiled as he swung his arms to emphasize his glee. "I can't remember the last time I felt so vital."

Silvia looked away from her clip board to stare at the bot. Her face became the very definition of worry, and her eyes flickered with a hint of fear. She was afraid for Ratchet… For her friend, and she was about to address her apprehension thoroughly. However, she was cut off by Bulkhead, whom had decided to make his appearance at the most fashionable time as always.

"Hey Ratchet. Silvia. What are you two doing here?" The green mech strolled in rather oblivious to the current atmosphere. Lucky for Ratchet anyway, he didn't mind having a distraction from his current conversation. Silvia wasn't happy about this sudden shift but decided not to make a big deal about it for now. She went back to concentrating on her work, however she listened in on the two bots lazily as she did. Rachet went headfirst into chatting with Bulkhead and was delighted when his comrade started asking questions about the fight yesterday. The white mech got so fired up he began to demonstrate everything he did. He jumped to his left, then bounced to his right, and Bulkhead just stood there politely listening to his ramblings.

"And then! He came right at me…" The medic jumped again towards the other side of the room, then swiftly spun around to stand in a fight pose facing the giant green mech. "And I…" He paused a minute, as if he was processing what he wanted to say next. This caught Silvia's attention again and she watched the white mech coax Bulkhead into participating in his demonstration. "Well… Come on Bulkhead! Come at me!"

"Uh… I don't want to hurt you Ratch." And the wrecker would've left it at that… If Ratchet hadn't swung his servo across Bulkhead's cheek-plating.

"Pfft!" Silvia didn't intend to laugh at such a childish reaction, but she couldn't hold back her pent up snort. "Did you just let Ratchet bitch slap you…?" She covered her mouth with her clip board and forced herself not to chuckle too loud, but she couldn't stop the shaking in her shoulders.

"I said come at me!" Ratchet ignored the woman on the high rise. Bulkhead growled and ran at the medic after transforming his servo into a wrecking ball. The white mech was quick on his pedes and he leapt away from the charging bot. Before anyone was really aware of what was happening, Ratchet had lifted Bulkhead off the ground and through him clear over his helm… In the same direction Silvia was standing.

"Whoa!" She shouted as she too leapt out of the way. She quickly clung to the railing in the corner and braced herself for an inevitable impact. Although Bulkhead was tossed with an abundant momentum, he did not fly high enough to reach the landing, but he did crash through the wall beneath it. The terrace shook violently, but it didn't last very long. When it was all over Silvia cautiously stood and walked over to where Bulkhead had landed. When she was sure the high-rise was still stable, she hooked her legs around a couple of metal banisters and carefully lowered herself to hang over the landing. Through a very large hole in the wall she glanced at the remarkable sight of the great Wrecker Bulkhead turned on his helm. Of course, from where Silvia was staring, he looked like he was sitting upright.

"God damn Ratchet…" She twisted her shoulders to glance back at Ratchet just in time to watch walk through the hole in the wall, but not before hearing his now overused chant.

"Hooh-ah!" He bounced some more as he stepped out in time to see Bumblebee and Arcee walk around a corridor corner.

"What was that?" Arcee questioned. Bulkhead answered her with a worn-out groan.

"You have competition Bulk…" Ratchet punched the air arrogantly. "I'm a bit stronger than I used to be. Also, a bit faster! Huh!" He threw his arm straight out merely inches (or perhaps a couple of feet from Silvia's view) away from Bumblebee's face. "Ha! Ha! Think you can take me muscle car?"

Silvia watched poor Bumblebee raise his hands defensively. She still couldn't understand him when his vocalizer buzzed his reply, but she speculated he stated something that resembled _'I'm good…'_. The white mech smirked with his helm tilted high.

"Wimp." He boasted as he strutted away, and finally averting his attention to Arcee. "How's it hummin'?" He clicked and winked before vanishing around a corner.

The blue feme gawked at him in disbelief. "Did he just…?"

"Stronger, faster… Studlier." Bulkhead rubbed the back of his helm after picking himself up off the floor. Not one of the bots standing there knew what to do or say after that, but that didn't restrain Silvia from her input.

"ERR!" She growled with tightly clenched fists to her sides. "That is, it! I have had enough! Bumblebee, please help me down!"

The young yellow mech jolted at Silvia's outburst, but he didn't hesitate to lift a servo up and gently lower the Captain to the floor. She thanked him before she stormed off after Ratchet and didn't bother worrying if the others followed her or not. She ran around each corner completely determined to catch up with the ignorant mech, and when she caught up with him, she nearly choked on her heartbeat. She had followed the medic to his personal storage unit and caught him right in the middle of injecting himself with more Synth-N.

"Ratchet!" Silvia shouted, again startling Ratchet into a light jump. He nearly dropped the empty canister in his servo before he turned to gaze at a very angry human woman just glowering at him. "What the fuck man?!"

"Primus on a warship Silvia!" The white mech gasped as he braced himself against the wall and clenched his chassis. "Are you trying to give me a spark-attack?!"

"If you're not trying to beat me to it!" She shouted even louder, not caring if anyone could hear her. "Seriously, did you forget what Optimus told you?! All testing is to be refrained to machinery now! You still don't fully understand the parameters of this formula yet!"

"You don't understand what I really know!" Ratchet stepped forward and cemented his argument as if he was actually picking a fight with someone his own size. "You're not a Cybertronian! What would you understand about any of this?!"

"Probably not as much of what Optimus understands!" Silvia stood her ground, and she was not going to the giant before her any wiggle room for excuses. "Have you even talked to him since last night! I have! He's been trying like hell to communicate with you, but you've been ignoring him! But it's more then that isn't it?! You can't receive his messages through your bond because that… That _stuff_ is messing with your connection or whatever?"

"Through our—?" The medic's optics widened. "How did you—?"

"Optimus filled me in while you went off on your joy ride." The ebony haired woman still pouted, but her voice calmed when she saw Ratchet falter slightly. "Don't be upset with him though. Although I didn't really know anything about how a bonding worked at the time, I figured out on my own that the two of you were somehow involved."

"But how?" Ratchet blushed. "We never said anything…"

"Oh please..." Silva rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I've been watching you two making love eyes at each other from across the main area for weeks. If it were any more obvious, you'd have a message stamped to your forehead that said, _'I'm sleeping with my boss'_."

"But…" The white mech turned a blueish-green as he searched for the proper words to reply with. "The others don't even know of our relationship."

She stared at Ratchet with a raised brow and a placid attitude. "Believe me Ratchet. They know."

"Oh again, what do you know?!" The medic was growing very tired of this conversation, and he was going to find a way to end it one way or another. Preferably with him gaining the last word. "I've been fighting this war since it began! You have barely even dipped your toes into it! You haven't seen or heard all of the pain and suffering that was brought on by this conflict! This formula could be the key we need to end this war for good! Finally, after four million years of fighting… It can be over! And I'm not giving up the chance to bring down the Decepticons once and for all!"

"At the possible cost of your health!" Silvia's green eyes flared intensely. "This isn't your calling to salvation Ratchet! This is substance abuse, and it can kill you! What will your team do if they lose you?!"

"I take very good care of my team!" Ratchet snarled ferociously, and his optics radiated a bright green glow. "Maybe you should stop projecting your guilt onto me because I don't have any intention of abandoning my team as you did to yours!"

That was it. Ratchet found the right words to win the fight, and Silvia froze in place. She took a long deep breath and if there was any pigment to her usually pale skin it evaporated before the mech's optics. Her face was a virtual look of horror with her eyes gazing wide into the distance and her red lips parted with the intent of speaking. Her lips remained wordless, and her eyes glistened like glass as they began to water. There was an instant dread in the pit of Ratchet's tanks the moment he witnessed a single tear trailing down the side of her cheeks. She didn't blink, she didn't move, she didn't even look like she was breathing, but when enough time had passed Silvia spun on her heals, but slowly walked away.

"Silvia…" Ratchet reached out remorsefully for the distraught woman. "I—."

"Don't!" She paused with her back facing the mech. "Just… Just don't…" Her head slowly turned to the side of her shoulder, and her eyes were covered by the curl of her bangs. But the tears were visibly rolling down and across her jawline. "I… I can't even look at you right now…"

After she took ten more paces she was gone. Disappearing around a corner and leaving Ratchet with the injection canister still curled in his digits. He pondered with everything, both in front of him, and in his grasp. A flurry of emotions enveloped his mind. Sadness, regret, guilt, but soon it was all pushed aside by an unnatural consumption of anger. Anger because he was confused. There was something missing. There was something about the reasoning Silvia got upset so quickly that Ratchet just didn't understand, and for more reasons he didn't understand it really bothered him. It occurred to him rather crudely that there was a lot he didn't know about the Captain, but in a very irritating fashion she somehow knew more about him. So, as he snarled and threw the empty canister back into his storage unit, he stormed off in the opposite direction. "Pfft… Whatever…"

 **-To Be Continued-**


	8. Chapter 8

Hello! And Happy Memorial Day! I literally had four days off from work that I could've spent working on this chapter, but instead I mostly got wasted and fat off cookout food. XD I'll be honest, I may have been inebriated a little toward the middle of this part of the story, but in the beginning, I thought I would try something a little different. I decided to write up a little manuscript of how Silvia sees the Autobots, which is honestly what I think is also the opinions of a lot of the fans to the show. Ratchet's still acting like an aft, and Silvia is doing her best to ignore the pissy medic, but could her avoidance have consequences?

By the way, there is something I would like to clear up about the last chapter. I left in a little bit of a history lesson, but please keep in mind that some of the facts I put in were also added with a hint of fiction. Some of it is made up, and no, I will not tell you which parts were. I'm not doing all the work for you… And don't just Google that shit! Pick up a God damn book every now and then. (Of course, I am just being a pain in the butt. Look it up or just take the story as it is, I honestly don't give a frag. XD)

No special shout outs here, but don't hesitate to review and ask questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

* * *

MERCY

Chapter 20.2 Part 4

Autobots: New Arrival

Capt. Bella, Silvia P.

Evaluation Log:

Psychiatric Observation of Autobot Alpha Outpost One

The following information in this document was created through the individual observations of Captain Silvia Bella of the US Army Nevada division. Anything that is subjected through said document is meant to be confidential and discrete. Everything here is written in confidence through a combination of professional reflection and personal opinion; strictly meant for private files. Anyone caught reading these documents without the notetaker's consent will be persecuted by the fullest extent of the law through the jurisdiction of the military. To wit, if found guilty of invading the personal effects of a high-ranking military officer, said guilty person/party will be fined a minimum fee of $1,500 US currency and jailed for a maximum of four years. This will be listed as a first and final warning and has been approved with the General of the United States Army seal of approval.

BULKHEAD:

 **Current Affiliation:** Team Prime, Autobot

 **Sub-group:** The Wreckers, Cybertronian Military Syndicate

 **Rank:** Warrior

 **Alternate Mode:** All-terrain truck, Lamborghini LM002

I chose to document Bulkhead first since he has been the mech (male Cybertronian) I have spoken to the most frequent since I have arrived at the base. Mainly because Miko Nakadai, my current ward and Bulkhead's human companion, hangs around him during the majority of her time to herself. Bulkhead in every aspect is nothing more than a gentle giant. He is kind, warm hearted, strong, protective, loyal. A girl like Miko couldn't ask for a better friend. Even though he admits to his own lack of proper education he can obviously call on his own cleverness when the occasion calls for it, and this trait becomes its most apparent when any of his colleagues are in danger. For a bot his size, he can be surprisingly light on his feet when push really comes to shove, and the only thing bigger than his frame is his spark (Cybertronian heart/soul). However, his greatest aspect of himself is also his biggest flaw. Bulkhead tends to push all of his self-regard aside and focus entirely on his mission or the people that need him. While most would find this to be courageous and enduring (myself included), it can also lead to him putting himself into too much danger. His passion to always be in the line of fire is clearly an attempt to keep his distance from the others on his team, and so far, even Miko is no exception to this emotional block. I worry that one of these days his unintentional recklessness will catch up with him, and not only will he hurt himself, but Miko will be dragged into the chaos as well. I worry for the both of them deeply.

ARCEE

 **Current Affiliation:** Team Prime, Autobot

 **Sub-group:** Delta Team, Stealth

 **Rank:** Warrior

 **Alternate Mode:** Kawasaki Ninja 250R Motorcycle

Arcee maybe the smallest bot on the team, but without a doubt she carries the biggest chip on her shoulder. Like Bulkhead, she is extremely protective of her human companion, Jack Darby, but she seems to have a more in-depth focus to her concern. I have later come to discover that she had previously had two other partners that tragically, had been killed in the line of duty. She often speaks of her latest partner Cliffjumper more frequently and fondly, leading me to believe there is a chance the two of them were perhaps in a relationship. I, however, will not probe deeply into this suspicion unless Arcee herself brings up the subject. She has been through enough trauma as it is, and unfortunately her fight is not over. I really do hope she sees fit to open up and discuss her fallen comrades in more detail. Although she appears to be levelheaded and focused, she is also the most vulnerable. If she doesn't speak to me than with any luck she will see fit to talk with Jack. Jack is the most mature of the human children in the base, and I think he would be an excellent outlet for the Angry feme (female Cybertronian).

BUMBLEBEE

 **Current Affiliation:** Team Prime, Autobot

 **Sub-group:** Stealth Team

 **Rank:** Scout

 **Alternate Mode:** Chevrolet Camaro

Oh Bumblebee… Sweet, sweet, Bumblebee! I don't know of any other person, human or Cybertronian otherwise, that has a kinder mind or spark. Clearly, he is the youngest of his team and I am amazed to find out how much this young mech had been through in this war. When I had the chance to ask him how he lost his voice-box I expected him to either shy away and change the subject, or become defensive and storm off. But he expressed himself in the healthiest way possible and explained everything to the extent of his memory. He did express some hesitance to a few details, but the fact that I didn't really have to push him for more information told me the young mech has a good grip on his emotions. Not that I would have pushed him if I believed it would give Bumblebee any stress. His approach to me has been very clear and healthy, considering his voice-box had been ripped out by the leader of the Decepticon army. Bumblebee also has a very close relationship with Ratchet, the team medic and scientist. I attribute this to a mild case of Nightingale Syndrome. Ratchet at the time was the young bot's savior, so it's only natural he developed a good amount of respect for his elder. The reason this case is so mild is because with most cases of Nightingale Syndrome the subject or patient becomes enthralled with his or her rescuer and believes they are experiencing love at first sight, but I theorize that Bumblebee already developed a positive opinion of Ratchet before he was hurt. After Ratchet had repaired him, it only confirmed his belief of the medic's kindness. In conclusion, Bumblebee is perhaps the most stable mind on Team Prime.

RATCHET

 **Current Affiliation:** Team Prime, Autobot

 **Sub-group:** Scientist

 **Rank:** Commanding Medical Officer (CMO)

 **Alternate Mode:** Emergency Medi-Van (Modern Ambulance)

Oh Ratchet… Ratchet, Ratchet, Ratchet… So far, he has been my favorite in so many ways. He comes off as such a grumpy old man (with a very mild yet obscure racism for the human race), but he is very caring. Sometimes I think he cares too much, and that worries me. I find the veterans approach to his team to be very admirable as he puts everyone else's needs ahead of his own. What I find concerning about this is his constant insecurities, and how he feels no matter how hard he works he still harbors abundant self-doubt. I can see where a lot of this is stemming from. Ratchet has been fighting in this war since it began and has always managed to accomplish so much with what little he had to work with. His ability to make so much from little to nothing, is nothing more awe inspiring, but he just can't see it that way. He bares so much on his shoulders and I'm doing my best not to be biased because I can relate to what he goes through. It's not easy putting in everything you have, but still yearn to do much, much more. As I mentioned before, I truly do admire Ratchet for his selflessness, but I wish he wouldn't bottle up his emotions so much. I can see it all in his optics (robotic eyes). I see all of his pain, sadness, fear, and perhaps above all else his anger. It seems Ratchet has developed a coping mechanism for himself, by engaging himself into large amounts of work and research. Although keeping his mind stimulated can be a good quality to maintain, he is still using it as a means to distract himself from confronting his feelings. One of these days his anger is finally going to catch up to him, and the bots he cares about the most and who care about him, will be the first to be hurt by his inevitable outburst. Part of me really hopes that Optimus is nowhere around when it happens. I have a sneaking suspicion he's the one whom would be hurt the most.

OPTIMUSPRIME

 **Current Affiliation:** Team Prime, Autobot

 **Sub-group:** Prime Leader

 **Rank:** Autobot Leader

 **Alternate Mode:** Freightliner Cab-Over Engine Class 8 Convoy

Last but not least, the Autobot Leader, Optimus Prime. The reason I saved Optimus's profile for last is because he is a rather difficult bot to read. Like Ratchet, he tends to keep his feelings to himself, but it's not as if he's trying to hide or push them back. It almost seems like the Prime has a full understanding of his emotions, and he appears to function just fine on this logic. But I just get the feeling that something is just not entirely there. I cannot really explain it, but the way Optimus speaks, it almost feels restrained. He doesn't lie or embellish anything he says. If I were to really find a description for it, I would say that he was speaking from only a portion of his own consciousness. I know it doesn't make much sense, but I can't see it any other way. I'm going to need to make more observations before I really come to my own conclusion.

* * *

Arcee entered the main area dragging her pedes. She was still a little sore from the fight for the energon the other day, but she wasn't ready to call it quits on this mission yet. With any luck she would be able to find another fault signal through the tracking system Raff had upgraded. The odds of another fault line so close to the other was rare, but it didn't really hurt to look into it anyways. Part of her even hoped she would even run into the two Con's that fought so dirty. The pent-up blue feme definitely wouldn't mind a rematch.

She was halfway through setting up the tracking system, when she was distracted by the sound of the elevator lowering to a full stop. Silvia stepped out onto the landing while clenching a clip board to her chest, and her head facing the floor. She rubbed her eyes and sniffled as she walked over to the human's computer. The apparent saddened woman didn't even notice Arcee standing nearby but feeling concerned for the newest teammate she stepped closer into Silvia's line of vision.

"Are you alright Silvia?" The feme asked.

"Oh! Hey Arcee!" The Captain quickly turned the other way and rubbed her eyes clean with her sleeve. "I didn't notice you were down here. And yes, I'm okay. I… I stubbed my toe on the way down here. It teared me up a little."

The blue bot tilted her helm in concern. She didn't know a lot about Silvia just yet, but it became obvious the green-eyed woman was a bad liar. Ironic, considering how she was a very good negotiator. And although she didn't know much about the Captain, she did know a lot more about Ratchet. He didn't really lose his temper very often (hard to believe when someone really gets to know him), but whenever he did it was never a pretty sight.

"Your toe huh?" Arcee furled her optic ridges. "Did you do that while you were running after Ratchet earlier?"

Silvia sighed and turned around to finally face the kind voice behind her. "I appreciate that you're trying to be empathetic, but really Arcee… I'm not ready to talk about it yet." She smiled weakly but didn't turn away. "Sometimes a stubbed toe is just a stubbed toe, and you just need to wait out the pain."

"If you say so." The blue feme also sighed but crossed her arms in disbelief. She definitely wasn't buying the woman's story, but just as Silvia had always been patient with her, Arcee thought she would try and extend the same courtesy. So she quickly changed the subject. "What brings you down here anyway?"

"Nothing special. Just checking on some of the old equipment." The ebony haired woman sighed again. "Are you trying to trace another fault line?"

"Yeah… I'm hoping that the new program Raff helped Ratchet install can pick up a small trace close to the last location we found energon." Arcee answered while she turned away to finish uploading the program.

"Same place in Utah?" Silvia stepped over to the other side of the landing, following the Feme to the larger computer. "Do you think there could be a deposit that big?"

"There is a chance." Again, Arcee answered as she nodded. "It's slim, but a chance none the less."

Once she had everything set up the feme still needed to wait for the program to run without manual interference. As the console randomly searched through data the two ladies began to idle with small talk. Even as the room began to fill with more bots the computer ran without disturbance. Optimus and Bulkhead stood on the other side of the room, quietly talking amongst themselves and the plans the Prime had for everyone that day. Bumblebee entered the room only a moment after Optimus, but he was mostly there to wait for Raff to call him and ask to be picked up from school. He hoped his little friend would contact him soon, he was very certain his leader would assign him a patrol shift in merely a few moments. But before any decision was made, he did join in on Arcee and Silvia's conversation. Silvia had yet to fully understand Bumblebee, but she was smart and clever. She managed to hold her own as he chirped and buzzed with his usual kind glint in his optics. Such a sweet boy, she thought while the yellow mech's optics also expressed his smile for him. He was so sweet that even he noticed the Captain looked upset. Carefully he placed his servo next to Silvia's feet on the landing and clicked his vocals empathetically. The sad looking woman patted her hand over the young bot's digit and smiled reassuringly.

"You're almost too kind for this world Bee." She said and watched as Bumblebee's faceplate turned blue. "Are you alright Bee? Your face is glowing." Of course, she knew the young model was blushing. She just got a small kick out of teasing him a little.

Arcee snorted but quickly turned her helm to the side. Bumblebee's face was completely saturated in a bright flush of blue and he resented himself slightly for so easily allowing himself to become so flustered. But after a few good snickers were thrown in and a couple of smiles widened, a loud beeping noise intruded on their fun. It appeared that Arcee had found another fault line and it was surprisingly close to the last place they had fought with the Decepticons the day before. Apparently, the program Raff upgraded was working beautifully, and Silvia made a mental note to herself that she would have to ask the boy genius for some tips in computer maintenance.

"Looks like the Cons' hit another vain." The blue feme turned to Optimus for instruction.

"Back to the grindstone." Silvia added as she walked back to the smaller console behind her.

"Autobots." Optimus announced oddly placid. "Roll out."

"Hey! Hey!" Bulkhead stepped in front of his leader with his hand up. "Shouldn't we wait for our secret weapon?"

"Unh…" The woman in the corner scoffed a little louder than she intended. She really didn't care to hear about the medic and his… _Condition_ so positively. But she sighed and digressed back to her task. This was something the Autobots needed to sort out for themselves, and she felt she had done enough damage trying to get involved. Both to the issue at hand and to herself.

"This mission is unlikely to require medical expertise." The Prime continued. He really didn't want to bring up even the idea of Ratchet going out to the field, but apparently his mate had other ideas.

"But you never know if it may require additional firepower…" Ratchet announced from where he perched himself. Again, Silvia scoffed at the smug look in his optics and did her best to ignore his arrogant pose against a corridor entrance. He maintained his childish attitude while he walked closer to the ground bridge gate. "Bumblebee can manage ground bridge duty." He waved his servo towards the scout and the young bot looked confused. But he shrugged his shoulders and didn't seem to argue when he whirled his reply.

"Ratchet I—"

"Wait a minute Optimus." Silvia reached for the Prime's attention and fortunately was granted it without fully alerting Ratchet. "Forgive me if I'm prying again, but I think you should consider allowing Ratchet to go with you." She glanced at the white mech facing away from her and she did her best to swallow her current repugnance for him. "He could use some outdoor recreation… You know what I mean. He should really burn off that extra energy."

"If you are all done gossiping, there's a fault line of energon out there that requires our attention." The green-eyed mech said before he turned around and clenched his fist enthusiastically. "It's time to put some hurt on those Decepticons!"

"…" The Captain blinked tiredly before she sighed once again. "Do me a favor and keep him out as loooong as you can."

* * *

Two hours had gone by after the group of bots left, and not much really happened after that. The children eventually found their way back to the base with June's help. For a while the main area was alive with activity. Jack and Miko played video games while Raff talked to Bumblebee about his day. Silvia actually took a little time to speak with June and was glad to finally get the chance to know her a better. It turned out they had quite a bit in common, and the two of them were right in the middle of a conversation about the type of music they enjoyed, when Miko gained the whole rooms attention.

"Oh! Booyah!" She stood for her ever-enticing victory dance. Jack smiled and shook his head, but he took his defeat with grace.

"Nice move Miko." He laughed as the teeny girl moon walked away from the couch. She ended up sliding right into to her guardian. With wide happy eyes she gazed up at Silvia with an upside-down smile. The taller woman grinned back, completely charmed by her ward's big, brown, puppy dog eyes.

"Glad you had your fun." Silvia squeezed the girl's shoulders before leaning down to teasingly kiss her forehead. "But your break time is up. Time to grab your book bag and go up stairs to do your homework." She kissed Miko's forehead again then jokingly nibbled over her brow.

"Ah-ha! Ha! Ha!" Miko giggled and struggled to get free. "Okay! Okay! I'll go now! Stop tickling me!"

"Mwah!" There was one last smooch on her cheeks before Silvia gently shoved Miko towards the elevator lift. "Your snack is on the kitchen table. Grab it and get to work. I'll check up on you later."

"Is it alright if I go up with her?" Jack asked as he also grabbed his book bag. "We have the same assignment in Algebra. Maybe we can work on it together?"

"I like Algebra." Raff chimed in as well, mostly motivated by the mentioning of snacks since he had skipped his lunch that day. "Can I go with you guys?"

"Can they?" Miko asked Silvia while reaching for her book bag.

"I don't see why not." The Captain shrugged. "But I didn't make enough for everyone to munch on, so you guys might have to wait until I finish my work down here to make more."

"I can take care of that for you." June offered and patted Silvia's shoulder kindly. "If it's alright with you. I haven't seen the third level yet, and I'm a little curious."

"Sure. That should be fine. Thanks." Silvia led everyone to the elevator doors. "Feel free to call me on the intercom if you need anything."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." June smiled. "Thank you."

"Thanks Silvia."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Thank you, Miss. Bella."

One by one, all three of the children thanked her as they compiled into the lift with June. All of them smiling, giggling, and goofing off as children should in Silvia's opinion. She always felt content when she witnessed kids being kids, and it definitely helped her forget the argument she had this morning with Ratchet. That is, until Optimus called the base and hailed a ground bridge for Ratchet to return.

"Just breathe…" She said to herself, a little more prepared to face the more then cranky white mech, but Ratchet wasn't even there for longer then two seconds. In an instant he spun around and ran back through the bridge portal again. Moments later the rest of the team followed through the swirling green vortex. No one said a word and Arcee immediately beelined to the computer console to activate the bots' tracking systems.

"I can't get a fix on Ratchet's coordinates." She said intending to be more sensitive but was clearly too upset.

"That bogus energon must be scrambling his signal!" Bulkhead added, sounding a little more worried than his comrade.

"What is happening?" Silvia ran to the other side of the landing and peered over it to properly make eye contact with Arcee.

"Ratchet took off…" The feme turned her helm, aggravated that she was still feeling so angry. "He found out where Megatron's current location is, but he's really starting to act out of control. He is definitely going to get himself killed out there by himself." There was no point in sugar coating the situation. Arcee was right after all, and her honesty is exactly what pushed Silvia into action. Before anything else could be said, she jumped over the railing and rolled into a stance once she hit the ground. Everyone watched her run under the stairwell to a hidden storage space below. They were all surprised and impressed with how quick and durable she was, but then they became very confused when she stepped out of the storage space with a greyish black Kawasaki motorcycle.

"Bee? Be a lamb and activate the portal to the teams' last known location outside the base. I'm going to try and track Ratchet as far as I can. You all should stay here until Ratchet's signal comes back online or until I manage to find out where he is."

"That is inadvisable Captain Silvia." Optimus stepped in front of the bike; blocking the woman's exit through the ground bridge gate. "If Ratchet is out searching for Megatron to an active energon mine, there is a major risk of you running into large amount of danger."

"I mean absolutely no disrespect by saying this Optimus," the human woman blinked palpably, "but you are not my superior officer. You have no authority to tell me to stand down." As she reached for her helmet, she hesitated and bowed her head. "Besides, I never should've encouraged you to let him go out into the field. I let my emotions get the best of me and because of that I contributed to Ratchet getting himself into trouble… I should've just begged him to stay at the base, but I was just still so angry."

"It is not your fault Silvia." The Prime frowned. He would've had more to say, but Silvia was swift with her rebuttal.

"But I am still responsible." She slid on her helmet and a leather jacket, then quickly saddled upon her bike. "My intent is to search, not to confront. If I manage to find anything I will stand down and report back to you right away. I will be very careful, I promise."

Optimus was very skeptical, but he also knew Silvia was right. He couldn't tell her to stay, and her plan was the best option they had to go on since they couldn't search for Ratchet through their tracking system. With a heavy spark, the Prime relented and signaled for Bumblebee to activate the ground bridge.

"Be safe Captain." He encouraged her when the arch swirled into its bright green hue.

"You got it Boss Bot!" Silvia called out as she sped away.

"Damn…!" Arcee cursed when the ground bridge dissipated into silence again. "I still can't lock onto Ratchet's signal, no matter which technique or program I use!"

"Keep trying!" Optimus accidently raised his voice, but quickly composed himself. Although he was calmer, he never took his optics off the now dead ground bridge gate. If he turned around now, his team would see the look of dread on his face, and the last thing he wanted to do was make everyone else feel as nervous as he was. All he really wanted was his lover to come home to him. Safe and unharmed. "We must find Ratchet… Before he finds Megatron."

 **-TO BE CONTINUED-**


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everybody! Yay! Half day off work! It's almost like a half day of school, which I haven't done in nearly 9 years… I really need to stop making myself feel so old all the time. XD Well anyway back to Ratchet and Silvia. Thought I would try a little something new at the beginning and anyone who maybe holding out for more fluff and smut, keep reading to the end. It's mostly just a quickie, but you might need a tissue or two. (Yep… Still talking about you Cao.)

No special shout outs here, but don't be afraid to comment and ask questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

* * *

MERCY

Chapter 23.2

Autobots: Ratchet and Optimus; Silvia

 _"Silvia-aaaa!" Miko whined as she spun in a random wheelie chair with her head looking straight up at the ceiling and her feet dangling through the air. It was a very lazy Saturday afternoon and almost everyone had left for patrol or hanging out somewhere else. Bulkhead went on patrol before Miko, miraculously, finished her homework. So now she had no choice but to wait for him in the main area. Ratchet was working on the data Bulkhead had transcribed, and Silvia was in the middle of reading a book she's been trying to finish for a month. But it looked like she was going to have to put it off for a while longer as her ward continued to pester her. "I'm boooooored… I have nothing to doooooo…"_

 _"Talk to Ratchet." The ebony haired woman pretended to continue reading, even though she had lost her place. "I'm sure he has a mop lying around here somewhere, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you cleaned up around his workstation a little bit."_

 _"Yes he would." Ratchet announced without even looking up from his console. "I need my space and I'm more then capable of cleaning up after myself. Why don't you just go swimming? I can ground bridge you to the school if you like."_

 _"I don't want to miss Bulkhead when he gets back." Miko stopped spinning and looked back at Silvia. She got up from her seat and went over to the couch her guardian was sitting in. With big wide brown eyes the little girl tried to entice Silvia for just a little more attention, and though the Captain didn't want to admit it aloud, it worked._

 _"Okay…" She sighed and set her book aside to face the puppy dog eyes beside her. "How about a story then?"_

 _"I said I was bored, not eight years old." Miko pouted with her arms crossed._

 _"Could've fooled me…" The medic coughed and turned his helm the other way._

 _Silvia continued to smile and chuckled at the way Miko glared at Ratchet. "You said you were bored. So take it or leave it."_

 _"Alright fine." The girl rolled her eyes. "Pick something good. I like mild romance with a side of angst."_

 _"I'll tell you one of my favorites then." Silvia made herself comfortable while repositioning herself on the couch. "Have you ever heard about the Greek warrior Orion?"_

 _"Orion?" Ratchet literally dropped what he was doing and walked over to the other side of the landing. "Earth has a hero named Orion too?"_

 _"Are you implying there is a hero from Cybertron named Orion?" The captain asked rather curiously, and Miko expressed herself the same way._

 _"I would actually like to hear that story." She tilted her head, and Silvia didn't argue. She was just as interested, but Ratchet had his own curiosities to fill._

 _"I'll bring it up again." He promised. "You tell your story first."_

 _"Really?" Silvia's green eyes furled in amusement. "Why the sudden interest in human mythology?"_

 _"Are you going to tell the story or not?" The white mech huffed._

 _"Alright," she surrendered, "I was just giving you a hard time Ratchet." She then turned her attention back to Miko and began her tale. "There once was a very brave and strong warrior named Orion. He was the champion of his time and no man nor beast could defeat him. He did however have a very strong rival. Scorpio the scorpion. His venom is said to be so potent that if he ever decided to let it spill upon the ground, he would poison the entire world. Orion was preparing to battle Scorpio one day, and everyone tried to convince him not to go. He would be killed! No one was more distraught then his mother, and the only thing she could think to do was pray."_

 _"Pray?" Miko rolled her eyes. "Is there going to be any action in this story?"_

 _"I'm getting there. Be patient." Silvia shook her head, but still smiled. "Now, during ancient times the Greeks' had a lot of deities to ask for help, so you had to be sure to pick the right one for the right occasion. But Orion's mother didn't have a lot time for soul searching so she went to the nearest temple she could find. Which happened to be the temple of Artemis, the virgin Goddess of the hunt and the moon. Orion's mother… Which I just realized it is a little silly to keep calling Orion's mother, Orion's mother."_

 _Finally finding an interest in the story Miko stated an input that even made Ratchet smile. "Just call her Aiko… It's my mom's name."_

 _"Awww…" Silvia and Miko both snapped their heads in Ratchet's direction. They stared at him in wonder of his extremely rare show of positive emotion towards them. The medic lightly blushed from the sudden attention. "What? I'm not allowed to be sentimental every now and then?"_

 _"Define 'allowed'." The captain reached over to pat Miko absent mindedly on her head when the tiny girl tried to swallow a laugh._

 _"Just tell the story." The bot gently pointed at her almost playfully, and Silvia took it in good humor._

 _"Alright," she giggled, "don't rush me. Now, where was I? Oh! Right, 'Aiko' made the journey to the Moon Goddess's temple in the middle of the Greek wilderness. She brought a deer pelt, a boars tusk, and a bundle of fish as an offering to Artemis. Which wasn't easy for a little old lady. In order for the offering to really mean anything she had to get all of those things herself."_

 _"Tough cookie." Miko commented and was rewarded with a soft boop on her nose._

 _"You don't know how tough. Back then you didn't get older if you didn't know how to care for yourself and others, and fortunately for Aiko her offerings and her pleas were heard. Artemis took a very strong interest in this prayer, but she pretty much did the opposite of what Aiko was actually looking for. She went to Orion and offered to help him on his mission, not to stop it. Their adventure started out simple. Artemis bestowed upon him a mystical lion pelt that spoke to him and gave him directions, the sword of Perseus that slayed the gorgon monster Medusa, and a silver shield forged by Hephaestus the blacksmith to the gods. The best was gold and she wanted to get it for him, but apparently Hephaestus was still coming off his rag."_

 _Miko laughed, but clearly the colorful story telling went over Ratchet's helm. "What?"_

 _"I'll explain later." Silvia replied before she went back to the story. "Anyway, Orion took his new equipment and set out to find Scorpio's den. Nobody really knew where it was, even the Gods had trouble finding him. But once Orion found his way there… Well, let's just say that's where shit hit the fan. A horrific battle ensued, and Orion fought the giant scorpion for three days and three nights."_

 _"When did he sleep?" Miko asked._

 _"I too have a hard time believing that." Ratchet chimed in. "Even Autobots need to get at least four hours of recharge every two days."_

 _The ebony haired woman's first thought was, 'Only two days?'. But instead she shook her finger at the bot. "It's a fable guys, try to keep up. Like I said, they fought three days and three nights and it was starting to take its toll on Orion's body. Up to this point, Artemis wasn't allowed to get any more involved then she already did. Believe it or not Gods and Goddesses had quite a few rules when it came to assisting humans in their trials. She could provide what 'he' needed to fight the monster himself, but if she didn't have the permission from her father Zeus to personally interfere, she couldn't do anything else to help him any further."_

 _"What?" Miko's eyes widened in concern. Despite her original plan to have fun by poking more holes in the story, the tiny girl was actually feeling immersed in the way Silvia was telling it. "What does that mean? Did Artemis just let Orion die?"_

 _"Hey, I said keep up, not to get ahead of me." Silvia was glad to see a healthy reaction from her curious young ward. "Artemis is still watching the fight and she knows that Orion isn't going to last much longer. She watched as his shield was tossed to the side. She watched as his sword was smacked from his hands with so much force, it became lodged into a boulder… But he still fought. Artemis admired him for his bravery so much that she decided right there on the spot that she would disobey her father's wishes, and she appeared before the hero just in time. Before Scorpio could deliver his final blow, the Moon Goddess lifted her bow and with her gold and silver arrows, she shot Scorpio in the center of his face."_

 _"Yes!" Again both Silvia and Miko turned their heads to look at Ratchet. He quickly recovered himself and coughed into his servo. "Then what happened?"_

 _"… Right…" The captain shrugged. "After Artemis killed Scorpio, Orion knelt before the Goddess and announced his gratitude and his life in service to her. But Artemis admired Orion for the person he was and told him, she wished for him to be his companion, not her servant. Thus began a powerful friendship that would last a lifetime… Or at least for Orion's lifetime."_

 _"Hey, I asked for a mild romance," Miko pouted a little more, "not a brief friendship. What kind of ending was that?"_

 _Silvia slid closer to Miko and half hugged her playfully. "That wasn't an ending." She answered. "It was a beginning. This wasn't just a story about Artemis and Orion. This is also a story about Orion and Apollo, Artemis's twin brother."_

 _"Is Apollo anything like Artemis?" Ratchet wondered and was a little taken aback when Silvia didn't hesitate with her answer._

 _"Nope. He was a little asshole. Aside from looking almost exactly like each other, the two of them were exact opposites. Apollo was the sun, and Artemis was the moon. Apollo liked to party, and Artemis liked to hunt. Apollo tried to screw anything that could fog a mirror, and Artemis was devoted to be a virgin Goddess." Miko snickered into hand and blushed a little bit. She really did appreciate how Silvia didn't treat her entirely like a little kid and didn't tip toe around her. But Miko was still a kid and she had her moments of understandable immaturity. "Are you good?" Silvia gave the tiny girl another warm grin and waited for Miko to nod. "Okay then. So for a while everything was going good for Orion and Artemis, but one day the Goddess invited her friend out on a hunt, and as a treat she took Orion to of the sacred groves. They played with the hunting dogs and chased boar through the trees for a while, but when they stopped to rest Orion thought he heard something. Someone was playing music, and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He stood from beneath the large willow tree he and Artemis had chosen to nap beneath, and he followed the music. Orion followed the edge of the river from the grove to a large meadow of wildflowers. He stepped over the meadow as if he was compelled through a trance, and the longer he walked the louder the beautiful music became."_

 _Now it was Ratchet's turn to blush. He wasn't sure why he was becoming so flustered by such a simple human fable, but there was something about the way Silvia told the story that made the old model's under carriage begin to warm. So he did his best not to sound too embarrassed when he asked, "What happened next?"_

 _"Orion reached the end of the meadow to a dark thicket. He pushed his way through thorn filled brush and long overgrown vines until he came upon a dark clearing. The trees were so tall over the clearing their leaves blocked out almost all of the light of the day, but there was a small glimmer of luminescence emanating from a pond in the center of the clearing. It was a bright golden glow and Orion was able to follow the small light to the same spot as the music… Finally, after a journey that felt like an eternity, Orion found the source of the music. He knew right away that he had stumbled upon the Sun God Apollo, and though it was a sin to gaze upon a God without his permission, Orion could not look away. Apollo played his lyre like a dream, and he was so beautiful the mortal currently watching him thought he would die if he even blinked. Unbeknownst to Orion, however, Apollo knew he was standing there. He had known about the warrior and his friendship with his sister for a long time, and the first time he set his eyes upon the gorgeous man the God fell deeply in love with him. He knew… Orion had to be his."_

 _"Woooowwww…" Miko's voice wavered as her imagination took over her reality, and Ratchet was apparently not far behind her._

 _"Wow…" He breathed, and to his delight, Bulkhead had arrived back from his patrol early. He quickly pushed in Optimus's current coordinates and opened the ground bridge. "Bulkhead, you're in charge for the time being! I need to speak to Orio—! I-I mean Optimus!"_

 _Before anyone had time to say or ask anything, he quickly ran and then transformed into the ground bridge. Ratchet sped off, ignoring everyone's confused glares and found Optimus almost instantly. It took him some convincing on his part to encourage his lover to follow him to a secluded area, but in the end even the Prime couldn't resist the temptation to be with Ratchet. The first isolated place they found that they were sure no humans were near, the two bots transformed and collided with each other in pure passion. As Ratchet heaved and cried out in ecstasy from the heated touch of his bond mate, he made a quick mental note that he would have to ask Silvia to finish that story later._

 _"So strange…"_ Ratchet thought as he stayed deaf to the world. He held the open wound over his chest; feebly attempting to keep any good energon he had left from flowing between his digits. He could barely keep his optics open and his intakes began to slow and become shallow. _"So strange… I'm lying on my back dying… And for some reason my last thought in this universe… Is how much I want to hear the end to a silly human myth… I would laugh if I had any feeling in my… Well, anything right now…"_

"Ratchet!" He finally heard Silvia calling out to him. He wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, but it must've been for a while. How he desperately wanted to tell her he was sorry. He was so sorry for everything he had said to her while he was still under the influence of the Synth-N. Ratchet still didn't understand why she was so upset, but he never meant to hurt her so badly she cried. He wanted to reach out for her, call to her, if he could even manage a whisper, he would grant it to her, but he was too far gone. Slowly his optics dimmed, and though he knew Silvia was right by his side, her voice was fading further and further away. "No! No Ratchet! Please! Please stay awake! Open your eyes and stay with me!"

His optics were closed? The weak mech hardly noticed, but he did his best to cling to his consciousness for Silvia. If not for himself then for her. She was so distraught it was hard to listen to, but he wanted to at least try to let her know that he heard her.

"No…" Silvia was starting to whimper, and Ratchet could somehow feel her hands slide down the side of his helm. It was almost like she was fading the same way Ratchet was. "No… Not this again… Don't leave me… Not like Joshua… Please…"

Joshua? Who is Joshua? Perhaps the question was never going to be answered. Ratchet could no longer hear her voice or feel her presence. He was finally out cold, and there was nothing that could revive him. Not now at least.

* * *

For the next two days, Ratchet was in and out of consciousness. The first time he realized he was back at the base he was in the middle of the main area. Hooked up to a multitude of machinery and energon lines, and when he tried to sit up, he was gently pushed back down. Ratchet was beyond ecstatic that Optimus was the first Bot he saw when he opened his optics. Part of the medic was hoping his mate would still be cross with him. He felt he deserved it after all, but all the Prime did was smile and tell him how happy he was that Ratchet was safe. In turn, the white mech promised that all testing on the Synth-N would be refrained to machines, not Autobots. That was the last thing he remembered saying before he fell into recharge again, but the next time he came to he was in Optimus's berth. His chest was starting to heal over thanks to his internal nanites and it was slow going, but he was rehabilitated enough to rest without a large energon tube latched to his chassis.

Ratchet sighed as he felt very comfortable in the position he was in. He usually didn't like recharging on his back, mostly because of his hub. He didn't mind it so much as long as it was removed before hand, and for a moment it felt like it was still there since he was slightly propped upward. Until he felt something on his back shift slightly in place. He opened his optics and they fluttered low as he turned his helm to his side. Optimus was recharging next to him, and he was even cradled in the Prime's arms. Ratchet's mind and frame was still beaten and broken, but his spark lit up like a youngling. He was so excited he reached up to stroke his lover's faceplate, but he moved to quickly.

"Oh!" He didn't mean to wake Optimus, but he ended up grunting louder then he intended to. The Prime was alerted to Ratchet's distress right away and he carefully pushed himself up on his side.

"Ratchet?" He glanced at him with a worrisome look in his optics. "Are you in pain? Do you need me to give you something?"

"N-No…" Ratchet muttered through his shaking vocalizer. Slowly he lifted his servo above his chassis and Optimus grasped it in return, understanding that it was what the medic was searching for. "Optimus… Optimus…"

"Yes Ratchet? What do you need? What do you want?"

"… _You…"_ The signal was quiet and weak, but Optimus could hear it. He was so happy he could hear Ratchet call for him through their bond, he couldn't hold back his urge to kiss the white mech's fore-helm. _"You… I… Optimus… Th-The answer will… Always be you…"_

"I hear you…" The taller mech whispered with a warm grin and lovingly laced his digits with Ratchet's. "I hear you… And I love you…"

"Optimus…" Ratchet cried with a single tear sliding down his faceplate. Before any more could escape the red and blue mech above him gently kissed them away. "I… Want you… I want you now…"

"I don't want to aggravate your injuries." Optimus lulled the side of his helm next to his lover's audio receptor. "We can wait until you feel better."

"I will feel worse if we don't…" The white mech cried even more. "I just… Need to know… You still want me…" There was no stopping Ratchet's sobbing now. It hurt his frame, but he was to upset to stop and he tightened his hold on Optimus's servo. "I'm so sorry… For everything… I just want to know if you can forgive me…"

"There is nothing to forgive." The Prime was hesitant to do anything so strenuous so soon, but he still, very cautiously slid his other arm out from under Ratchet's back. He gently laid his mate flat on the berth, and Ratchet watched him through a misty haze over his dim optics. He was surprised watching his lover slide further down his frame. What was more surprising was how Optimus positioned himself between the medic's legs. "I miss being close to you as well. Four days without touching your metal was… Nothing compared to not being able to feel your presence. I thought… I feared you were pushing me away."

"No…! I could never…!" The medic winced as he tried to look down at Optimus whose faceplate was now aligned with Ratchet's codpiece. The taller mech gently licked the center of his mate's modesty cover only to test his reaction. The white mech shook lightly, and there was an edge of pain to his shudder, but he pushed past it. He even moaned softly over his parted lips and squeezed the sides of Optimus's chassis with his struts. "Ah… Optimus… I love you… Ah-hah!"

Because Ratchet was still so weak, he was also very sensitive. It didn't take too much convincing on Optimus's part to open his mate's paneling. His digits gently traced the outside of Ratchet's valve, encouraging the equipment to lubricate before inserting his glossa. He moaned hungerly over his lover's valve and used two of his digits to spread the outer lips further apart. Things were escalating so quickly that Optimus could already feel the mesh walls around his glossa constrict around it. He almost didn't notice Ratchet's spike panel had also opened and pressurized.

"Optimus…" Ratchet moaned wantonly as his chest heaved through both pain and pleasure. "You… Wh-What about you…? I—OH!"

Just as Optimus predicted, his bond mate's overload was quick and intense, just the way he wanted it. He even gripped and pumped his free servo over Ratchet's spike while he selfishly lapped up all of the medic's lubricants. Ratchet only screamed the Prime's name once before his heavy optics took hold of him and he fell immediately back into recharge. He was still shaking, even as Optimus sat up on his knees in front of the beautiful shivering mech. The wound in his chassis, though not as extensive as it was before, was still spark breaking to see. But Optimus still smiled at Ratchet happily. He was home, he was safe, and was himself. This was the fiery yet sensitive mech Optimus had fallen in love with so many centuries ago, and he felt so relieved to have him in his arms again.

"I love you so much Ratchet." He sighed while he repositioned himself next to the medic's side. "And I'm never letting you go again."

 **-TO BE CONTINUED-**


	10. Chapter 10

Hi everybody! I had a freakin' great weekend! I had won a couple of tickets off a radio contest to see Pentatonix at the Resch center in Green Bay and it was awesome! I took my mom, we got in our seats and I found out that both Citizen Queen and Rachel Platten. I didn't know that off hand so like, yeah, bonus! XD

As for the story in this chapter, we actually dive into a little of Silvia's past, and even find out a few things about Ratchet… And a few surprises towards the end… Oooooo…

No special shout outs here, but don't let that discourage you from leaving a comment or asking questions in the reviews. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

* * *

MERCY

Chapter 23.3

Autobots: Ratchet and Optimus; Silvia

Six days after Ratchet was brought back to the base, the old Bot was feeling well enough to go back to work. Optimus tried to offer him more time to rest, but the medic didn't just find strength to get back on his pedes, he also found enough energy to become his stubborn self again. He didn't want to worry his bond mate though, and he encouraged the Prime to go on his patrol duties early. Once he was gone Ratchet headed straight to the main area. He was still achy and sore, and it was very apparent on his faceplate when he walked down the corridors. He would occasionally wince and quietly grunt when he stepped down the wrong way, but soon Ratchet found his pattern. It wasn't a graceful entrance to his workstation, but he was proud of himself when he finally limped over to his console. First thing he did was write his experiences on the Synth-N in his log, or at least everything he could still remember. Everything that had happened felt like a dream in the end. Nothing seemed to have really happen and he would've believed it was all a delusion if it wasn't for the pain in his chassis being a constant reminder.

He was nearly halfway through his note taking when he heard a sudden clattering sound to the side of his helm. It had come from the couch on the upper landing, and he realized the noise was a clipboard sliding out of Silvia's hand. Ratchet didn't even notice the ebony haired woman sleeping on the sofa, and he wasn't quite sure how he really felt about it. He knew the two of them would eventually run into each other again sooner or later, but part of the medic was really hoping it would be later… Much later. But she was also asleep for now, so he could just ignore her until she woke up. Let Silvia rest and come back later to talk things through… In another six days or so.

"No…" The ebony haired woman moaned, alerting Ratchet back to his awareness of her. He noticed right away that she was still dreaming and was only talking in her sleep. Onward she mumbled and even began to toss and turn. "Mmm… N-no… Ratchet… Ratchet…!"

"Silvia?" The white mech slowly crept over to the opposite side of the landing and gently rested his servo over the edge of the high rise. "Silvia? Can you hear me?"

"No… D-Don't leave…!" Silvia began to cry. "Not again…! Ratchet…! Joshua…!"

That name again. The sound of it vibrated through Ratchet's mind when he remembered it was the last thing he heard before he fell unconscious. Who is Joshua? What does he have to do with the medic at all? Of course, before he could ask Silvia anything, he needed to wake her up first, and he made the decision at just the right moment. Carefully, Ratchet nudged two of his digits on the back of the couch and slowly rocked his knuckles between the cushioning and metal railing behind it. All the while Silvia continued to toss and turn through her nightmare.

"Silvia? Wake up." The white mech whispered but gradually raised his voice. "You're having a bad dream. Wake up, Silvia."

"NO!" The young woman's green eyes flashed open and she nearly flew off of the sofa. Ratchet quickly switched his thumb over to the other side of the railing and half caught Silvia under her arms. The ebony haired woman realized right away that she was falling, so she clung to the first thing she could get ahold of. She just didn't know she was grasping Ratchet's digit. She was still unaware of her surroundings as she hyper ventilated over the dark silver metal, clutching it like it was her only lifeline in a strong storm.

"Easy Silvia." Ratchet soothed her as he gently lifted the Captain back on the couch. "You're safe here… It's okay…"

She didn't say anything. All she did was heave heavily as she held him tightly. Silvia had been made aware of Ratchet's presence, but she was too preoccupied with calming the loud pounding in her chest to really acknowledge the concerned bot. Eventually her breathing started to even out and her grip around Ratchet's thumb slowly loosened, however, she never looked up at him. The white mech furled his optic ridges and sighed sadly. It was obvious Silvia was still upset with him, but although Ratchet didn't blame her, he found he was still having difficulty confronting the issue at hand.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" He asked, avoiding the subject as long as he could. "Is something wrong with your housing upstairs?"

"No…" Silvia spoke softly. "I've been having a lot of bad dreams lately and my room is right next door to Miko's. I already scared her awake once this week, so I've been sleeping down here until my nightmares subside."

"Are you okay—?"

"I'm fine." She didn't shout, but Silvia was very stern with Ratchet and even shoved his servo away so she could stand. She really didn't intend to be so mean, but she couldn't hold back her frustration. She was glad to know that her friend was up and, on his feet, and even though she could be understanding of Ratchet's aliment at the time. But the things he had said to her still haunted her mind. For the past week, the Captain loomed through the base like a ghost and did her best to hide her anxiety. It was fooling no one, and Ratchet was no exception. He knew that this issue between the two of them would need to be handled head on, so he swallowed his pride and just pushed through the tension, like ripping off dried up mesh sealant over healed wound.

"Silvia…? Who is Joshua?" That got her attention. Immediately the green-eyed woman spun around on a gasp; her ebony hair bouncing over her natural waves and emphasizing her shock from hearing such a question.

"How…?" She stammered. "How do you know that name?"

"I heard you mention it back in the mines." Ratchet answered as honestly as he could. There were some things about what had happened he had trouble remembering yet. "And just now you said the name in your sleep."

Silvia didn't appear to be angry. She didn't seem to be upset at all, but the look on her face was completely unreadable. It was a mix of surprise, anger, and for some reason, relief. After a brief moment of silence she slowly walked along the length of the railing, staring down and off into the distance before finally settling against the steel banister. Her back was now facing Ratchet and she crossed her arms defensively while sighing heavily into her chest. This was very hard for her, the medic could tell, but he waited until she was ready to talk. If she could be patient with him, then Ratchet could be as well.

"…" Silvia sighed some more before she finally resigned herself to her mild angst. "Joshua… Was my fiancée…"

"Fiancée?" Ratchet tilted his helm. He had heard of this human custom before, but he couldn't remember what it meant. Fortunately Silvia was aware of this and explained as she continued her confession.

"It means someone you intend to merry. Marriage, for humans, is kind of like a spark-bonding for Cybertronians, except it's not quite as permanent. Not unless the two of the _'bonding'_ decide they want to work on their relationship and stay together for the rest of their lives."

"But you were just intending to marry him at the time?" The mech tried his best to follow her explanation. "Does this mean you decided not to stay together?"

"More like fate decided for us…" Silvia closed her eyes and tilted her head upward. The room became just as still as the Captain as she reminisced through her memories. "Joshua was the leader of our division, and twelve years my senior when I was assigned to join the team. I was very young at the time, and I didn't have a lot of options for myself when I first started. In fact, I was literally the youngest person in the world to join a classified military crime division, and it was very hard to convince people around me to take me seriously in the beginning. But Joshua was the first, and perhaps the only person that bothered to give me a chance."

"How old were you at the time?" Ratchet asked to show he was still listening to the young woman attentively… And was nearly shocked out of his armor by the answer.

"Thirteen." She replied placidly, not even noticing the white Bot's widening optics. "I graduated high school when I was eleven and because my grandfather was a General Officer at the time, he was able to pull some strings and I was given the chance to work for the Las Vegas military crime lab while I was taking my college courses."

The medic was beyond dumbfounded by everything he was hearing, and even found it a little hard to believe. Then again, he was also a little bit impressed, so he powered through his astonishment to hear the rest of Silvia's story. "So, what did you do when you first arrived at the lab?"

"For the first year I was just a lab tech, but it took me at least half that time to be trusted completely with my assignments alone." She paused a moment and even smiled a little when her thoughts trailed off to her more pleasant memories. "Joshua was always the one giving me the most leniency. He saw something in me that no one else bothered to search for, and because of it, when I turned sixteen, I was trusted to go out and work in the field. Two years after that I was finally able to legally carry a firearm and got to contribute more and more to the lab. All the while, I was finally gaining everyone's trust, but what really kept me going was the trust Joshua already had for me. When I received my final doctored in phycology, Joshua kissed me for the first time. Our relationship had been a strange one, but we both knew something was there. We were just too stubborn and perhaps afraid to do or say anything, but I guess he felt it was time to stop beating around the bush… He proposed to me that day. I said yes and that night we… Well…"

"What?" Ratchet foolishly asked before he realized how ridiculous he was for even asking. "Ohhhh… Never mind." He coughed into his servo as he stepped closer to where Silvia stood now. "So, what happened after that? Did things just not work out? Did you leave him? Did he leave you?"

Again there was a brief pause as Silvia braced herself for what she would say next, and maybe even giving Ratchet the same courtesy. But the silence didn't last long enough, because the old war veteran wasn't at all prepared for what he heard next.

"He died Ratchet…" She closed her eyes again and tried to ignore the shift in Ratchet's disposition, but she could feel his saddened eyes on her like a shroud of guilt. "Please don't stare at me like that… It was a long time ago." Shaking nervously Silvia waited for the old model to turn his helm. When he did she continued her story. "We… We were following up on a case and doubled back to a crime scene to collect more evidence. The local officer escorting us was supposed to clear the scene according to protocol before we went in, and he did, but it turned out to be an ambush. The investigation was over a drug den explosion, and while we were identifying all of the bodies that got caught in the fire, our coroner discovered that one of the victims died of a gun shot wound to the head. This made it a murder investigation, and we went back to try and find the bullet or a shell casing. When I found the casing under a charred workstation… All hell broke loose. I knew right away the casing belonged to a standard issue 9mm Glock, so it didn't take me long to piece together that our potential suspect was a dirty cop. It just happened to be the cop assigned to us at that moment. Three more of his cronies were hiding and waiting for us. Long story short, there was a shootout. That was the first time I had ever killed a man, but to save both me and Joshua's life I needed to take two. Joshua killed the last one, but the cop was still at large. We both went separate ways and searched the house while I was calling in for back up. I was distracted when my radio went out… I didn't know the suspect was creeping up behind me until Joshua shot him…"

Her voice began to waver as she held her arms closer to her chest. Her self-embrace was very little comfort as she relived the worst moment of her life. "But the cops weapon also discharged… And he shot Joshua in his neck… He bled out and died in my arms." Silvia began to shiver violently, restraining herself from sobbing. It was a feeble attempt, and her face became flushed with tears. "It didn't seem real… Like something you would see out of a terrible drama movie… Every time I close my eyes, I can still see his face smiling at me, and I never want to open them, because when I do, I know he won't be there…! And then when I found you in the mines just lying there… It all just… Flooded back and I…"

Ratchet had stopped Silvia in the most unusual way. The crying woman's sobbing slowed when she felt a light pressure against her back. It was warm and surprisingly comforting, as she realized right away that Ratchet was resting his fore-helm behind her.

"I'm sorry Silvia…" The mech sighed sadly and rested both his servos on opposite sides of the landing. "I am so sorry for what I said to you… What I put you through… I will understand if you never forgive me… I will understand if you never want to see me again…"

"Well… I will have to learn to get used to seeing you anyway." Silvia muttered. "Because I don't intend on leaving just yet… You're not getting rid of me that easily."

It was meant to be a joke, but she could tell the medic didn't find the humor in it, so she finally turned around and placed her hands over Ratchet's helm. She even nuzzled her forehead over his as she leaned in closer, then gently kissed him.

"We're okay Ratchet…" She smiled as the last of her tears streaked down Ratchet's metal. "We're okay…"

Since the two of them were content where they stood, they both stayed there. They comforted each other for as long as they needed and only parted ways when Ratchet finally said, "Thank you…"

Still feeling tired, Silvia went back to the couch and rested for another hour or two. Ratchet really couldn't tell how long since he quickly became lost in his work. First thing he took care of was his self-diagnosis on his systems. It wasn't the easiest thing to do on his own, but because it took the results such a long time to process on his old equipment, Ratchet would have some free time to work on his other tasks. Not long after he finished his personal log on the Synth-N, Silvia had woken up once again. She briefly ruffled her hair then picked up her clip board so she could get back to work. Between the two of them, Ratchet and Silvia bantered with small talk. Eventually, the medic remembered something he meant to ask the Captain.

"Silvia? Before I forget, could you tell me the ending to that story you were telling Miko the other day?" He knew he had to defend himself a little when she quirked at him inquiringly. "I'm just curious. That's all."

"It's not a very happy ending Ratchet." Silvia replied honestly. "Orion and Apollo briefly became lovers. The Sun God is constantly paranoid of Orion's relationship with his sister, and in a jealous rage he accidently kills his mortal lover. Feeling extremely guilty for his actions Apollo does the only thing in his power to show his remorse and turns Orion into a flower. Some people say Artemis found the flower and scattered its petals over the night sky, creating the group of stars that made up Orion's constellation."

She glanced up from her clipboard when Ratchet didn't put in his two cents like he normally would. The white mech just continued to concentrate on his computer and didn't really pay much attention to Silvia after that. "I told you it wasn't a very nice ending."

"Huh…?" The medic finally acknowledged the woman he engaged in conversation with and realized he had been zoning out. "Oh! No Silvia. I'm sorry, I kind of got lost in my work, but your right. That ending was terrible."

The two of them were both distracted this time when the console on the other side of the room made a random beeping noise out of nowhere. "What was that?"

"My self-diagnostics." Ratchet answered while he still toiled over his other console. "Could you do me a favor Silvia and read off my check list to me. I'm on a roll here and I would hate to stop. You can use the smaller monitor in the corner there."

"Sure, I can do that." She answered rather eagerly as she followed the direction of Ratchet's helm, which he used to point at the old computer system on the landing. The curious woman was rather happy to take the small opportunity to learn more about Cybertronian anatomy, and she was very glad Ratchet was feeling comfortable enough to let her look over something so personal. It was a very good trust exercise Silvia thought as she brought up the screen she needed. She carefully looked it over and processed as much of the info as she could handle, before reading it off slowly to her friend.

"Let's see here… You core pulse is fluxing in the right direction."

"Okay, good." Ratchet responded, but still didn't look up from his station. "Does it say how fast it is pulsing?"

"Um… Yes, it says two hundred over one twenty."

"Hm. That's a little high, but at the moment to be expected. What else does it say?"

The banter between them continued like this for a while, minus the occasional question Silvia had about one thing or another. She was getting rather excited about learning so much about the Autobot's anthropology, she hardly noticed Bulkhead and Arcee entering the main area with their daily rations of energon.

"Your energon pulse is rated at the same speed as your core pulse, your CPU is labeled as running sufficient, your fuel tanks are three quarters full, your intakes are clear and healthy, and your… G-chamber? Is no longer in remission."

Bulkhead was right in the middle of sipping on his rations when Silvia made the very open announcement, and whatever portion he had in his oral cavity then was immediately spewed out onto the floor. Arcee needed to take a step back but did so in understanding. She was just as shocked as the Wrecker by this news, but probably not as shocked as Ratchet was. The old model just stood there with wide optics and his dermas partially parted in awe. Arcee reached out for him while Silvia walked over to him on the other side of the landing.

"Ratchet?" The blue feme placed her servo over the stunned medic's shoulder. "Are you okay? What do need?"

"No…" He finally spoke and gradually raised his vocalizer. "No… No. No, no, no, no, no! That can't be right?! That _can't_ be right!"

"Now stay calm Ratchet." Bulkhead walked up behind Arcee and placed his servo up intending to be sympathetic. "Everything is going to be alright."

Without warning, Ratchet suddenly spun on his pedes and marched towards the dormitory corridor. "When Optimus arrives back to base, tell him to meet me in his chambers!" As swiftly as he turned to leave, he was gone just as quickly, leaving Silvia completely in the dark.

"What is happening?" She asked frantically. "His _what_ chamber isn't in remission? And what does that even mean? Does he have robo-cancer or something?"

"It's… Complicated Silvia…" The larger mech answered vaguely. "But it's probably best if Ratchet was the one to explain it to you."

"Oh what really could it be?" Silvia snorted at her sudden new thought, hoping it would lighten the mood a little. "It's not like the guy's pregnant?"

Bulkhead glanced at Arcee. Arcee returned the stare. Then they both glanced at Silvia and watched her porcelain skin turn even paler. "Holy shit!" She shouted in disbelief. "That was just a joke!"

 **-To Be Continued-**


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys! I just found out I got the rest of inventory week off from my job and you know what that means… More time for MERCY! (Insert dancing Kermit the frog here) And I am very excited about this chapter! I have been planning to write this in for months now and I think it really turned out great! I had a lot of details I wanted to add in, but I had to leave a few things out.

Any-hoo, this chapter delves into that potion of Ratchet's past that he had been keeping secret for so long… Will Optimus be so excepting of his lover's mistakes and later consequences from them? Well I'm not going to tell you up here, get reading you! XD

No special shout outs here, but don't let that discourage you from leaving a comment or asking questions in the reviews. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

* * *

MERCY

Chapter 23.4

Autobots: Ratchet and Optimus; Silvia

If Optimus was ever honest about how he felt about going on his patrols, he would express his mild contempt of it. He understood why his younger team members enjoyed it so much. It was a chance for them to spin their wheels and stretch their struts even though it was mostly work. It was usually a casual task during most of their runs and sometimes it was rather nice to see new and exciting places on the planet they now called their home. However, the Prime didn't like to be away from the base for long periods of time. He found Earth to have its moments of beauty and wonder, and he sometimes found time to enjoy his outings. But ever since he bonded with Ratchet, that novelty of travel had begun to ware. He preferred to be as close to his mate for as long as he could, and it was apparent through their bond that the medic felt the same. But duty called for both of the older mechs and they needed to find a way to cope with being apart from each other for long periods of time. The bonding made this both easy and difficult because their connection was so strong, they could feel each other's emotions from anywhere on the planet, but it just made Optimus all the more eager to return to the base quickly. This feeling increased tenfold after Ratchet was injured. Since then their bond had weakened and to prevent aggravating the medic's wounds as they healed, Optimus made it clear that it was a good idea to wait a little longer before they tried to spark-bond again.

The Prime wasn't even halfway through his usual trek through the Nevadan desert before he began to feel anxious and worried about his partner, but he still drove further into the wilderness. He was believing that if he continued just a little longer these feelings would lessen and he would be able to concentrate better, but it didn't seem to help. It almost felt like the further he got from the base, the higher his apprehension rose. Optimus slowed his wheels a moment when the feeling in his tanks shivered through his chassis and he realized that this emotion he felt was not normal. Or at least, it was not normal for him… And that's when it hit him. He wasn't feeling any of his own emotions, he was feeling Ratchet's, and it was very clear that his lover was expressing serious distress.

Without a single hesitation Optimus whirled his wheels into the opposite direction and sped back to the base as fast as he could push his engines. He was gone for perhaps only an hour, but he as he followed his dust covered tracks back, he practically flew down the trail. He made it back to the base in less than half the time he was gone, and he hardly slowed down at all when he reached the entrance. Before he transformed into his biped mode, he blared his horn through the driving corridor. The red and blue mech sprung to his pedes like a ninja and slid a small distance to the center of the main area floor with his struts in a wide-open stance.

Silvia, Arcee, and Bulkhead all stood in the corner of the room with the exact same look of shock on their faces. "That was fast…" Silvia announced as she walked away from the furthest monitor. Obviously, she was getting ready to call the Prime over the comm links, but she really wasn't expecting the boss Bot to literally pop out of nowhere.

"Where is Ratchet?" Optimus asked more sternly then he intended, and even startling his other teammates. However, the ebony haired woman stood tall in front of the Prime professionally like she always did and answered him honestly.

"He is waiting for you in your chambers Optimus." She stepped closer into the light and noticed how ragged the usually stoic mech appeared. The tension in his frame only intensified her suspicions of his agitation, so she did her best to keep her voice sympathetic. "He has something important to tell you… And if you can, try and take a few deep breaths before talking to him."

She was expecting a small confrontation from stating the obvious so openly, but Optimus didn't even react positively or negatively in any aspect. He bolted down the hall and left his comrades to wallow in a confusing collection of silence. It was quiet for a good length of time and all three of the conscious minds couldn't take their eyes or optics of the opposite end of the hall. Not until Silvia spoke up one more time.

"Anybody else need a strong drink." She announced, not at all surprised to see both Arcee and Bulkhead raise their servos.

* * *

Ratchet paced in the berth chamber nervously as his spark pulsed franticly. His cooling vents whirled so furiously he feared he would choke on his panting. It was that moment his instincts as a medic kicked in and he mentally encouraged himself to sit on the edge of the berth and tuck his helm between his knee joints. The large mech didn't have the strength to bend too far over, but it helped him to calm himself while he slowed his intakes. But now that his CPU was beginning to clear, the situation he found himself in was becoming more surreal.

"How could I let this happen…" He whispered fearfully. "I was so careful… I tracked all of my cycles and— Oh scrap!"

The white mech jolted to his pedes realizing there was one time he forgot to check his internal systems before and after an interfacing session… The time Silvia told that damned fable and he sped off to spend the rest of the evening (and most of the next morning) in his lover's arms.

"Ooooohhhhh…" He scowled, and although he knew it wasn't true, he was still angry enough to say it aloud. "Damn that woman… This is all her fault!"

He intended to continue his tantrum. Ratchet wanted to scream and cry, even stomp his pedes in a pure passion of rage, but he had to stop. The churning feeling in his tanks left him no choice and he sat back down onto the berth. He sighed on a deep breath and gently held his arm across his torso. He nearly cried and he thought perhaps he should. It might help him feel better or at most give himself something else to distract him. He didn't want to think about it. He just didn't want to acknowledge the nausea rising up through his oral intake. A large part of him wanted to believe that if he just ignored all of the evidence, that it would just go away, and it wouldn't be true. But there was no ignoring what was clearly placed in front of him. Ratchet was carrying… He was carrying Optimus Prime's sparkling, and he was terrified. He was so fearful of what his bond mate was going to say his processor began to reel through his past… The deepest part of his past he spent almost all of his energy trying to keep his lover from discovering. There would be no avoiding it now. He would have to tell Optimus the truth.

"Ratchet?" The Prime's voice alerted the frightened mech back to the present. His helm snapped up at the chamber door, not sure how to feel at the moment. "May I come inside Ratchet? I can still feel your anxiety through our bond. I can wait for you if you like, if you are not ready to speak with me yet."

"This is _your_ berth chamber Optimus…" Ratchet sighed. "You don't need my permission to enter."

"I can still wait if you wish." Optimus replied after a well placed pause, causing his lover to snicker slightly. There was a brief wave of relief for Ratchet when he felt the presence of his mate behind the doors, but then reality set in again and he knew he would have to confront his fears. It was soon. He knew that wasn't quite true, but this all felt too soon. Ratchet had plenty of time to prepare for this moment, but now that his time was up, he still wasn't ready. He wanted more time… He needed more time, and the pressure from just the thought of confessing his secrets was causing the rumbling in his tanks to churn. Even more fiercely than before.

"O-Optimus…!" The acidy lump in Ratchet's throat finally rose up into his oral cavity, and there was nothing he could do to stop the rushing feeling of vile. He only had enough time to stumble onto his knees before purging onto the floor. The loud sounds of him heaving and choking compelled the Prime to ignore his promise from earlier and burst through the doors. He was by his bond mate's side before Ratchet even realized he was in the room. The white mech coughed and slightly choked on his vomit, but the second he felt Optimus's servos curve lovingly over his shoulder everything in his world stood still.

"It's alright Ratchet…" Optimus soothed his mate. "Let it out… I'll help you to the berth when you're ready."

"Primus…" Ratchet wiped his lip-plates with his servo and slowly sat back on his struts. He didn't ask to be helped up yet, because his body was still shaking from the force of his sickness. Instead, he leaned into Optimus's frame and tucked his helm under his bond mates chin. It was warm and comforting, but it didn't fully diminish his fears. The older mech clung to the Prime's shoulders and sobbed into his neck cables. Optimus wrapped his arms around the distressed mech, and even kissed the top of his helm. "Oh Optimus… I am so afraid…"

"It's only a tank purge Ratchet. You out of anyone should know such a thing isn't life threating." The taller mech kissed the top of Ratchet's helm and delicately caressed his lover's tears away with his thumb. "The ache will pass."

"It's not that…" Ratchet cried some more. "I have so much to tell you, and I don't know where to start… What to say…"

"Come here." Optimus whispered and carefully lifted Ratchet to the other side of the berth. They both settled back into each other's embrace, but this time the Prime rested his back along the wall. Ratchet was able to rest more of his weight against the red and blue mech's chest. He sighed, relieved to still be so close to Optimus and feeling more relaxed as his kind lover sweetly stroked the back of his helm. They both stayed that way for almost an hour, until the light convulsing under the medic's metal calmed slowly to a stop. The Prime smiled and hummed with his deep rumbling vocals. "Are you feeling better?"

"No…" Ratchet answered tiredly and slowly circled his digits over Optimus's windshields. "I feel more at ease, but not relieved. I…" He lifted his helm up to meet his bond mate's optics. The taller mech's irises spun curiously back at his lover, still smiling tenderly and doing his best to be patient. That look of serenity Optimus provided for the white mech compelled Ratchet to reach up with his servo. He cradled his digits under the Prime's jawline and lightly traced his thumb over the smooth silver chin. He lingered long enough for his own patients, before he pushed himself back up onto his knee joints and took Optimus's servo into his own. "There is something important we need to discuss… But before I say anything else about it I… I need to confess something."

"Confess?" His mate quirked an optic ridge. "Do you mean the piece of your past you haven't shared with me yet? Oh my love. You make it sound like you have committed a sin."

"I may have…" The white mech couldn't look his partner in the optic any longer. Ratchet needed to slide to the side of the berth and sit with his pedes flat on the floor. When Optimus tried to follow, he was pushed back to where he was still seated. "Please, just stay there and listen. This will be easier to get off my chassis if I can just… Come clean. And I am ashamed to admit that I can't find the strength to face you as I do."

Optimus questioned this in his processor for only a moment, but his doubts recanted when he considered how obviously difficult this was for the older model. So he stayed where he was as Ratchet requested, yet he still reached over to grasp one of the medic's servos and was thrilled when he wasn't brushed away. "I love you Ratchet…" The Prime encouraged his mate. "Whenever you are ready to speak, I am here to listen."

Ratchet took in one last deep breath, and then kissed the back of Optimus's servo. He started his story with a quiet voice and stared out into the distance. It almost started off like the beginning of a fairytale, and no one would have suspected the medic was preparing to describe a horror story. Optimus didn't interrupt, but he did gently squeeze his servo to emphasize his understanding and support. Ratchet squeezed back, but still didn't look away from the other side of the room. "You know that I have had lovers before you. The same truth is for you. I know this, but the difference between the two of us is that I know all of your past partners. You know of all of mine but one… My first berth mate, and my first love."

He paused again. His hesitation was so frequent that it may have frustrated the most patient of any conscious being, but not Optimus. He had waited for Ratchet to be more open with him since the day they met millions of years ago. The Prime didn't mind waiting another hour or two longer.

"Before I became invested in the war, I was still going through the last courses of my training as a medic." Ratchet closed his optics as he reminisced, and unconsciously scooted closer to his leader for comfort. "When a medic's training comes closer to an end, they first need to be assigned a trial run before they are sent into the field. I was assigned to be the resident doctor… For the gladiators injured in the Pits… That is where I met my first lover…" As dread filled his spark chamber, Ratchet's frame shivered and it coaxed the Prime to move closer. He slid his free servo up and down the white mech's back. When the black metallic hand reached the top of his shoulder, Ratchet took hold of it. He kissed it eagerly, unintentionally worrying Optimus by the sudden desperation. As if the medic felt it would be the last time, he would do it.

"It's okay Ratchet." The red and blue mech remained supportive. "I can understand if you once had a relationship with a gladiator."

"Not just any gladiator…" The white mech thought he might have been finished crying, but he appeared to still have a heavy supply of tears. "Optimus… My first lover was Megatronus…!"

This news was shocking, and Ratchet was expecting a reaction of all kinds from the Prime. He braced himself for just about anything he could think would happen. He was expecting anger, sadness, maybe some feelings of betrayal, and he waited for something to happen. The tension in the medic's frame became so tight he thought he might become stuck in his seated position. But he jolted a little when he felt his lover shift behind him, and thought perhaps somehow, he disgusted Optimus so much he was going to be told to leave. One thing he wasn't expecting was the feeling of being pulled back onto the berth. Ratchet opened his optics feeling a little stunned as he was pulled backwards between Optimus's struts. His back rested a little clumsily against the Prime's chest since his hub was still attached to his back, but due to his lover's height Optimus was able to gaze down at the shorter mech in his embrace.

"Have you truly been worried about how I would react to this?" Optimus nuzzled the side of Ratchet's helm before kissing his cheek. "Ratchet… That was a long time ago. Back then, when Megatron was still a gladiator, we didn't know then he was a tyrant. I can see why you would have been intrigued with him at the time. I was enthralled with him too after all."

"You don't understand Optimus." Ratchet lowered his helm away from the Prime's gaze. "I was the one who encouraged Megatron to go to the counsel in the first place. I supported his decision to become a Prime, and… Unh…!" The stress of this memory was churning his tanks again and he needed to force himself away from Optimus's hold. He stood and stumbled over to the other side of the room. There was an old and large factory tote that Bumblebee had found at the dump, and Optimus had taken it to use as a trash bin. Ratchet dry heaved over the edge of the makeshift receptacle when nothing was immediately coming up, but it was going to happen again. At least this time it was going to be easier to clean up.

"You're going to need to consume some low-grade soon." Optimus found his way to Ratchet's side after the sick mech finished purging for the second time. "Not having anything in your fuel tank is going to make you feel even worse."

"Optimus…" The medic cried over the heat radiating for the bin below him and he allowed a long strand of oral lubricant to drizzle past his tears. "Optimus… There is more to this story that I have never told you... That I have never told anybot."

"It can wait." The taller mech eased his arm under the other side of his weakened mate's shoulder and carefully lifted him against his frame again. "You should rest now. We can speak more another day."

"No…" Ratchet wiped his lip-plates again before he grasped both of his lover's arms, if for nothing more then to keep his balance. "This needs to be said now… Or I will never have the courage to bring it up again." He looked up into Optimus's optics with tears in his own. He did everything he could to collect himself and pushed himself to finish his revelation. "When I began to see Megatron for who he really was… I started to doubt my devotion to him, and when he returned from his meeting with the Counsel, he… Everything changed. He became so angry and bitter right before me… I was so frightened of him I told him I was going to leave that night…" Ratchet nearly felt the urge to vomit again, but he made it this far and he was going to finally end this story, even if it meant the end of him. "He beat me that night… He hurt me so badly that I thought I was going to offline, but I managed to get away…" Softly he listed his helm against Optimus's chassis and heaved through the clicking of his cooling vents. He was so close to being finished. So close, but it was just so difficult… If this memory didn't kill him when it happened, Ratchet feared it might actually kill him now. But it needed to be said, and not just for his own wellbeing. "A week later… After my wounds began to heal, I felt a sharp pain in my torso and my systems automatically evacuated themselves… I didn't know I was carrying until then… I never carried to term…"

The room became so thick with silence, Ratchet thought he might have just died in Optimus's embrace. He didn't hear a sound, feel any pain, or see any light around him. Yet, he somehow felt an overwhelming feeling of peace. Perhaps through this confession Ratchet finally found all of the closure he was ever going to need in this universe. Did this mean his fight was over? Was this the All-Spark calling for him to return home? He thought it may have been just that, until a subtle fluttering feeling brought him closer to his awareness. There was a light feather like tickle in his torso that spun slowly below his spark chamber, and it took the veteran medic a moment to realize that that feeling was his sparkling. The small life inside him swam around it's protective confinement not entirely with the purpose of making it's presence aware, but to attempt a way to comfort his Bearer.

Ratchet stood up right in the darkness he had surrounded himself in. Then he placed his servo over his armor. The same place where his gestation chamber rested below. This was now real. There was a small, helpless, and defenseless life growing inside of him. This small life needed him to get his scrap together, and at that very moment he told himself, that was exactly what he was going to do. This split-second decision is what triggered the dark void that glossed over his optics to slowly fade away, and Optimus's form gradually emerged from the dwindling black. It was probably the first time in a long time Ratchet had seen such a mixed look of shock and doubt etched over his leader's faceplate. With a heavy sigh, the white mech glanced right into the Prime's confusing stare and announced where he planned to go from there.

"My reproduction equipment had been damaged because of the beating, and until today…" He paused again and soothed his servo over his abdomen for a glimmer of reassurance. With his opposite servo, he caressed Optimus's chest between his windshields. "Until today Optimus… I didn't even know if I could still conceive." He felt the metal beneath his digits suddenly rise and fall on a sharp breath, right before his servo was encased in both of his bond mates'.

"Ratchet…?" Optimus whispered through a very unreadable tone. "Are you saying what I think you are saying…?"

He wasn't sure what it was that compelled the medic to grin, but he did so while watching the Prime lower himself to one knee. "Optimus… My leader, my bond mate, my whole world… I am carrying your sparkling… And I am terrified, because there is a chance… I don't know if I will carry to full term. But if I have your support… I want to try."

Optimus momentarily stared at the servo over Ratchet's frame in fascination. When he stood, he didn't hesitate for any reason, and clashed his dermas over his lovers'. There was a strong acidy taste of regurgitated energon, but the Prime didn't notice. Or he just didn't care, because he never knew he could ever feel so exhilarated like he did that moment. His bond mate was carrying. He repeated that to himself in his mind over and over again until it was all he could think about.

"Mmm!" Ratchet mumbled and tried to pull himself away. "O-Optimus! Wait a minute! You're smothering me!"

"I love you…" The Prime rested his fore-helm over the flustered white mech's and pulled him as close to his frame as he physically could. "And you have more then my support… You have everything that I am. I love you so much…" He repeated himself through multiple kisses that trailed further and further down Ratchet's faceplate and chassis, stopping only once to kiss away more tears. Tears of relief and happiness.

 **-END-**


	12. Chapter 12

Hello! Hello! Today is my birthday! And as a present to myself I thought I would quickly post a new chapter for the One Shots! YAY! (Insert excited Kermit the frog gif here…)

Brief summary real quick because those Puerto Rican Hookers are starting to kick in. We circle back to Steve and the dilemma he is developing in his processor… The one he forgot. He runs into Antaeus in the middle of his CPU melt down, and if you've been paying attention to the story you all know what the evil flier is up too.

(For those who don't know Puerto Rican Hookers are shots of tequila and pickle juice, not actual hookers.)

No special shout outs here, but thanks again to NekoNoKami23 for beta reading for before posting.

Remember, don't be afraid to comment or ask questions. I love to here from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 28.2

The mess hall was packed with drones trying to get their daily rations quickly, then return to their posts. Megatron had been AWOL for almost a week, and it made everyone enthusiastic to hustle and finish as much work as possible. It was much easier to focus when the troops didn't have their master loitering over their helms. Everyone scrambled to complete as much mediocre work as possible before the tyrant emerged from his current hiding place. The more they finished, the less they would have to do later on. There would still be the issue of constant maintenance and operations, such as piloting the ship, or keeping the core engines from malfunctioning and melting down. This would be easy to rotate through, so no one would have to stay in place at one time, and some drones would be able to have more time off. Some would even be able to travel to the mines and visit with their minor friends, or for a small handful, spend time with their berth-mates. Some minors were even lucky enough to be called back to the ship for assistance. Soundwave had also been in and out of the troops view, so it was easier to open the ground bridges though the mine discreetly without hearing any grief later.

It was a rare opportunity, and not a single drone wasted any time to get back to work. The line to get their rations was long, but nobody stayed in one place for longer than a minute when they got their servos on some energon. Two or three quick gulps and then they were gone. The Eradicons hit the ground running, and the Vehicons practically took flight. All but one.

In the far corner of the mess hall, one lone Vehicon sat at a table, and toiled with his cube lucidly. If anyone gave him a second glance, they would be able to see the look of absence on his faceplate through his battle visor. As his digit swirled over his glass, he stared at the far end of the room. Not really looking at anything specific, and his thoughts were surrounded by a mist of confusion. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his processor that was bothering him. He was forgetting something. Something important, and crucial. What was it? What did he need to know?

"Hey Steve." A small group of Eradicons and a couple of Minors sat next to him. Inevitably snapping him out of his daze. "Are you feeling alright? You seem to be a million miles away."

"Huh? Oh! Yes! I'm fine, just…" Steve pondered on what to say, but his CPU was surprisingly exhausted. Shaking his helm he gave up on sounding alert then rested his tired head over his arms on the table. "Just don't worry about me… I'm having issues concentrating. That's all."

"Poor mech." One flier chortled as he patted the Vehicon's back.

"Anything you feel like talking about? You appear to have something weighing on your mind." A Minor chimed in as he made himself comfortable under one of the Eradicon's arms, making it obvious the two were a couple. Steve watched the couple and briefly thought this was something familiar. He knew what that feeling was, but he had been without for a length of time. Again, he shook his helm and groaned against his flattened servos.

"Noooo…" His voice grumbled while he slowly sat back upright. "It's nothing really. I'm just having trouble with my memory. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I just can't recall what." He decided to leave out the part where he felt how important this lost memory was, because there was no real reason, he would know that.

"Oh! That reminds me. I forgot to thank you for last month." The first flier to sit said, and he lightly clasped one of Steve's servos. In turn, the grounder peeked his comrade curiously.

"Thank me? For what Simon?"

"For taking my place in the Main bridge." The drone addressed as Simon replied. "When I went to the med-bay to visit my friend."

"I took your place?" Steve very confused now. He didn't recall doing such a thing at all. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What do you mean?" The flier was just as puzzled. "I ran into in the hall and told you one of my friends were hurt. You offered to take over for one of my shifts because I would've been late and—."

"Wait Simon…!" The drone next to him wrapped his arm around Simon's shoulder and whispered into his audio. Before he lowered his vocals, Steve was able to pick up on one last statement. "There is something you probably don't know."

Simon listened to his friend attentively, so he was sure he didn't accidently say something out of line or offensive. Slowly, the Eradicon's EM field started to dip. Realization seeping into his processor as the other flier explained in hushed detail why Steve was denying everything.

"Oh no…" Simon gasped as the second flier continued to whisper. He even began to shiver in his friends half embrace, and he seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Oh Steve…! I had no idea…! I'm so sorry! If I had known—!"

"Lower your vocals Simon," the troop whispering to Simon hushed him again, "not everyone knows. I only know because I was there."

"What the Pit are you two even talking about?" Steve was becoming very irritated. Everything being said was going entirely over his helm, and he did not appreciate being talked about as if he wasn't sitting at the same table, let alone in the same room. "Nobody else knows what? When did I ever take over anyone's shift? Why are you all acting like I was nearly deactivated?"

As he spoke, Steve could feel the creeping sensation of a processor ache. It started out mild, but gradually began to grow. He reached up to unclasp his mask and rub the space between his optics. This warranted more sympathetic attention of everyone around him.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay Steve?" A minor to his left inched closer and extended his servos to offer support. "You really don't look that well."

"Yes. Please, just answer my questions." The grounder sighed heavily. "Like I said, I've been having issues with my memory, so please… Please, be direct and don't leave me in the dark." He looked directly at Simon as pleaded. "You said I replaced you on your shift, right? What happened after that? What happened that was so shocking that everyone is tip toeing around me?"

Each drone glanced at one another and then back at Steve. Each mask somehow expressing the tension in their frames, but one Eradicon obliged Steve's request. With one arm still around Simon's shoulder he extended his other and soothed it over Steve's servo in an attempt to comfort both his friends.

"Steve… This is going to be a little difficult say aloud, because the last thing I want is to make you live this all over again. Though I don't know how it's possible you have forgotten all of this, but perhaps it's best you don't know…" He dipped his helm so he could meet the Vehicon visor to optic. "I don't know if it's the trauma of this memory, or if you were injured somehow, but… Tell me you are sure. Absolutely sure you are ready to know and remember what happened."

"Trent…" Steve turned his hand around and gently squeezed the digits that caressed his servo. "Something is wrong with me. I don't know what it is or why it's happening to me, but I need to take the good with the bad. I need to remember. It's important, I know it is."

"Okay," the flier called Trent caressed his thumb over Steve's digits and surrendered to his persistence, "don't say I didn't warn you… After you took Simon's place on the Main Bridge, Megatron showed up and took an interest in you."

He paused when Steve shivered and huffed from this reveal. The Vehicon suddenly saw a flash of Megatron's form streak across his vision. He needed to take a few deep intakes before reassuring Trent he was ready to hear more.

"I'm sorry Steve." Simon lightly sobbed against Trent's shoulder. "If knew that was warlord's intentions at all, I would've just gone to my post…"

"It wasn't your fault Simon. There's a chance if both of you were not there, he would've just moved on to the next drone he'd see."

"Guys." Steve interjected. "Are you trying to tell me that while I was allegedly covering a shift for Simon, that Megatron saw me and… Uhn!" Out of nowhere, the grounder slipped on his opposite servo, and nearly fell out of his seat. More flashes of the silver tyrant appeared before his vision. Flashes of him creeping up behind him, pushing him down and pinning him, caressing him, teasing him… It made him feel sick.

"Steve!" The group encircled him, horrified by the way he deteriorated so rapidly in front of them. "What happened?! Are you in any kind of pain?!"

"N-No!" The mask-less drone quickly stood; the visions subsiding and replaced with a sudden urge to run. _Run!_ He shouted to himself. _Just run! Your pedes will know where to go!_ "I need to go! I can't explain why, but I need to go now!"

"Wait! Hold on Steve!" Trent stepped in front of him as Simon ran to the grounder's side. "You're in no condition to go anywhere right now! You need to rest! We'll take your dorm!"

"Not necessary!" Steve pushed Trent aside and sprinted to the door. "I'm sorry but I must do this! I need to do it on my own! I will comm link you guys when I clear my helm! I promise!"

"Steve?!"

"Let him go Simon." Tent needed to grapple the worried troop by his waist, then he pulled Simon's helm against his chassis. "Give him time to calm down. If we chase him, he'll feel crowded. We're going to need to trust him."

"Oh Steve…" Simon cried. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

* * *

The halls were briefly crowded with the bustle of scurrying drones and random equipment set aside for closer inspection in the future. It didn't seem strange to anyone when they witnessed Steve dashing down the corridors like a maniac, because everyone else was running down the corridors, trying to get to one place or another. There were a few drones that took notice of Steve, since he was the only one running away with his visor off. But his identity was his business, and if Steve felt comfortable running around with his face exposed no one would stop him. Never mind the fact that Steve was actually a very attractive mech, and some of his comrades just liked to get a good look at him.

None of the others warranted his attention at the moment. That large feeling in his tanks was rapidly churning, and the tiny voice in the back of processor began to scream. _Run! Keep running!_ It was as if he triggered his fight or flight protocols and immediately, he chose to run, and he ran blindly with no direction. His spark pounded rapidly, and his air intakes heaved from being over worked, but he knew he couldn't stop. As if he would die if stopped before he found the place, he knew he should be. The place Steve knew he would be safe.

 _Almost there!_ His mind assured him. _Almost there! Keep going!_ The speeding Vehicon bounded down one last corner were the cluster of multiple drones began to lighten, and the spaces between the rooms were placed further apart. Soon enough there was no one in sight and when Steve turned down one last corridor, the voice unexpectedly screamed, _stop!_

He slid a short distance across the floor before coming to a complete halt in front of a random dorm. It was clear right way to the drone that this was no ordinary dorm. It was Commander Starscream's personal quarters. Steve stared at the doors with wide optics and painfully heavy intakes. This is where his desperation led him? This is the place he was so desperate to reach? It made no sense, but as his air vents began to slow, he realized he felt safe. This is the right place to be, but why? Was it because of the secret feelings he had for his Commander? Maybe it was because of how much he actually missed Starscream after he disappeared, and he ended up at his dorm because he just wanted to be near his beloved?

"Oh Commander…" He sighed with a crackled voice. He stepped forward and placed the side of his faceplate against the door. The metal felt rather warm, and it was so soothing, yet familiar. He had done this before, and when he grazed his servo over the frame of the door another vision flashed over his sight. Steve could clearly see his Commander standing before him. The seeker was so beautiful, and he outstretched both his arms. The Vehicon could feel the slender and gorgeous appendages wrap around his neck, then out of nowhere Starscream's voice slipped past his audios.

" _We are alone now my soldier… You may see fit to skip the formalities when I'm in your arms. In fact… I want to hear you say it. Call me by my name as if it is a sin… And make my knee-joints quiver."_

"Starscream… Ah!" Steve needed to back away from the door. It began to open right after the vision had ended, and he stood there nervously. Who was in the room? Could it be Starscream? Could the AWOL second in command found a way to sneak onto the ship, and try to retrieve some of his personal items? If only such delights actually happened to drones in real life… And to Steve's absolute horror the worse Con on the ship was waiting behind that door.

"My, my, my… What brings you down to the luxury side of the ship…? Little Steve…" Antaeus leaned against the door jam and smiled smugly at the shorter drone. Steve instantly doubled back almost until he reached the far end of the hall. He was beyond repulsed by the idea of such a horrid mech stepping ped into the love of his functions sanctuary. Such a place meant to be comfort, now tainted by the Higher Eradicon's corrupted servos.

"Awww…" Antaeus fake pouted, trying to cover his amusement by staring at Steve's reaction to seeing him. He was glad he decided to take off his battle visor, so the shorter drone could look him directly in the optics. Antaeus knew it would be sweet for him later on, and this knowledge genuinely pleased him. "What's the matter Steve? Were you expecting someone else? Perhaps someone you were hoping to discreetly frag?"

"Then you should know I was most definitely not expecting you."

The taller mech simply smiled despite such a disrespectful tone in Steve's voice. He was rather glad to see the grounder at this time. It would be less work for him since he had planned on searching for him in the future. There was much he needed to discuss with the mech he desired most for his depravity, and he was about to invite Steve to watch some interesting movies with him. However, the breathless Vehicon interrupted before he could really say anything else.

"What are you doing in the Commander's living quarters?" Steve mouthed his words aggressively over hyperventilated bursts of air. "Who has even you permission to by anywhere near here?"

"Why, Lord Megatron of course." The Eradicon lightly laughed at his counterpart as he held his servo up to casually observe it. "It has now officially been instituted that Starscream is deemed a traitor of the war effort. So his personal effects are in need of sorting before being cleared out for the new Second in Command."

"The new Second?" The shorter mech questioned with a worried look, enticing Antaeus's smirk to widen into a sneer grin.

"You haven't heard? Arachnid has been proclaimed as the new Second in Command in Starscream's place. Which means she will be moving in as soon as I clear all of the previous owner's things out."

Saddened and perhaps Sprakbroken, Steve sighed heavily in an attempt to prevent himself from weeping. Not only did this mean Starscream was gone, it also meant that the beautiful seeker wouldn't be able to return. He was now exiled from the Decepticon cause, most likely for good. _'Oh Commander Starscream…"_ He thought to himself. _"I never told you how I felt… I'm so sorry you are out in this universe alone, and unaware that someone loves you."_

"Would like to assist me Steve?" Antaeus asked restraining his urge to some off mockingly to him. "There is quite a bit of material I still need to go through, and if we are lucky… We might even be able to find a clue to Starscream's current whereabouts."

The trap was now set. Steve knew this was another one of the General Officer's tricks, but it was a very tempting one. A chance to find Starscream before anyone else and speak with him, and there was a good chance they could meet alone. Steve could have the chance to confess his devotion… His love. But he also risked the chance of being alone in a room with the worse drone in the army. He knew Antaeus would find a way to corner him the moment he stepped into the living area. It wasn't a stern belief, or a strong hunch, Steve knew as a matter of fact that the tall flier was going to advance on him. But if he did, Steve would not let Antaeus touch him without a proper fight. He would bite off his neck cables before he'd let the Eradicon touch him, or at least for now he would try.

Steve was still exhausted from running through the ship so hastily, and though the anxiety in his intakes began to slip away, the sensation of fatigue began to haunt his entire frame. If he didn't watch his step, the perverted flier would take advantage.

"Where can I start?" He asked anyway, believing he could find a place in the dorm where he could keep his back towards a wall and his front in Antaeus's direction.

"Oh? I haven't sifted through the living area cabinets yet." The taller drone shrugged and pointed to the opposite side of the room. "Feel free to help yourself, but please announce if you find anything suspicious."

"Help myself?" Steve pondered as he walked past his superior cautiously. "What do you mean?"

"One of the cupboards is a high-grade cabinet. I won't report you if you decide to have a snort."

"No…" The Vehicon rolled his optics. "Thank you, but I don't drink while I'm on the clock."

"But you have no problem walking around with your battle visor off." Antaeus commented while he closed the doors, unaware of the embarrassed blush creeping over Steve's faceplate.

"Th-That's my business anyway! I don't need to explain it to you!" He had more to say but was cut off by the sudden feeling of familiarity in Spark. Steve reached the high-grade cabinet with his arm unconsciously stretching out to touch it when he suddenly realized he had done this before.

" _Help yourself Steve."_ Again the seeker's voice cooed behind him. _"I have plenty to spare, and I'm sure you don't get to be treated to any top shelf drinks very often."_ Steve stood there in front of the cabinet and again could feel the presence of Starscream walking up behind him. He closed his optics and concentrated on the way the semblance of his Commander wrapped around his chassis and torso. It was just a day flux, he convinced himself of that, but it was a very good flux, so the lonely Vehicon allowed himself to have such an illusion. It was almost to real, and it increased significantly when his fantasized embrace lowered itself just above his modesty cover whilst whispering in his audios. _"I could treat you too even more delights if you allow me… My soldier…"_

"Oh Commander," he practically melted into the dream, "I miss you so much…" He listed his helm behind him thinking he could relax into this almost too real daydream but was shocked back into awareness. If the illusion holding him from behind was Starscream, then there wouldn't be a chance the back of his head would hit anything. Steve cursed himself for being so foolish when he immediately realized who was actually behind him. He opened his oral cavity to shout angerly, but the other mech covered it tightly with his large servo. The Vehicon struggled only for a moment, but his arms were pinned to his side by the other mech's free servo.

"Uh-uh! Don't struggle…" Antaeus's grasp tightened when Steve tried to kick his way out, and even bent forward slightly to keep him from wiggling away. "Don't fight me Steve… You just looked so sad standing there and staring off into space… I thought you could use a hug—OUCH!"

Apparently the Eradicon didn't learn his lesson from the last time he tried to advance on Steve. The smaller mech managed to stretch his neck up far enough to get his top dental plates over the servo over his dermas and clamped down on it. He bit the flier hard enough between his thumb and index Steve managed to draw a small amount of energon. The shorter mech was a little weak from his sprint down the ships halls, but that didn't stop him from trying to fight back.

"Again with the biting!" The flier ripped his servo away and sneered angrily. "What is this some kind of kink for you?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about and I don't give a scrap what you mean!" Steve thrashed and did his best to pull himself away from Antaeus, but now with both his arms free, the larger drone grappled his captive and swung him around to the other side of the room. There was a couch not far behind the both of them, so Antaeus threw him face first onto the cushioning. He didn't leave him any room to stand up and he quickly pinned his frame over Steve's back. With one wrenched behind him and a knee-joint pressed against his back-struts, the grounder whimpered from the added pain to his body, but initially he froze when he felt something rifling between his leg struts. It was Antaeus's free servo, and it was searching for something in the seams of Steve's interfacing equipment.

"Wha-?! What are you doing?! Stop it!" The frightened drone struggled even more, but his attacker ignored him and continued to dip into the crevasses around his pelvic plating. "Don't touch me! Get off me! AH!"

Pain registered in his mind first of all, because Steve didn't even hear the initial snap of his wrist joint dislocating. Stuffing his faceplate into the furniture he screamed over the cushioning. He stopped struggling but shook uncontrollably. The terrified drone urged himself not to cry. Steve would not allow himself to cry in front of Antaeus, so he bit back every agonizing wave rushing up and down his arm and swallowed the last of his gasping. Turning his helm to the side so his cooking vents could collect air, Steve didn't even acknowledge the larger mech's servo still rifling around his pelvic plating. Not until he felt his interfacing equipment slide open. His air vents exhaled a slow breath of ice and his optics widened with painful fright… Antaeus had opened his equipment manually, and his grotesque digits were grazing the side of the lips of Steve's valve.

"Looks like I finally found the switch." The flier chortled at the sight beneath him but made a tsk sound from the rough texture of the mesh walls. "My, my, my… No lubricants yet. This won't do, now will it."

"Get off…" Steve wheezed. The burning sensation in his wrist was now overshadowed by his need to protect his most valued possession. "Move your servo… Get off me…!"

"Oh no Steve… I don't think so." Antaeus leaned forward and was able to reach his captive's helm. He kissed him oddly tender and continued to rub his digits over the exposed valve, trying to entice it to wet itself. "This isn't exactly how I planned on this going down, but it think I waited long enough to my vengeance. I told you I would get you… I was going to get you back for humiliating me. So you better start thinking about the last time you and your precious Commander had rump here on this couch, because whether you are lubricated or not, I'm going to—!"

"Oh Antaeus, we've talked about this." The sole femme on the ship appeared before the two drone's from the other side of the living area. Apparently, Arachnid had been in the wash racks the entire time. A plume of steam wafted around her frame as she sauntered behind the duo. "Let the little pest go and meet me in the berth room later."

"This doesn't concern you my Lady." He didn't mean to talk back his mistress, but Steve was right underneath his frame. He was at the flier's mercy, and he was not going to let him go that easily. "Don't wait up for me…" He sneered and slowly dipped one digit inside the valve only to his first knuckle. "Because I'm going to savor this…"

"NO!" Steve panicked again and did all he could to kick his pedes and wriggle his frame. Antaeus added extra pressure to the broken wrist, but no matter how strong the pain was the shorter mech was going to get out of that room. Even if that meant ripping off his own servo to do it. "Don't touch me there! You have no right, you son of a glitch! Get off me! GET OFF ME!"

"Ugh! That noise…" Arachnid finally had enough. She reached over the furniture and pulled Antaeus away with a gentle shove. When she had the Eradicon's attention, she kissed him into submission, and allowed Steve to scramble away. "Don't go far Vehicon." The spider like femme called out for him before he reached the door. "I have a task for you, and it is one of the great discretion."

"You are not yet established as my official Commander yet… I don't feel the protocols in my CPU activating to your commands, so I don't have to do anything for you…" It was a risky snide remark on Steve's part, but at this point he really didn't give a scrap. He just wanted to leave, so he could lick his wounds and try to find a way to piece together all of the new questions he collected for himself. Why was he having delusions of Starscream? Why were they so real? What did he do to Antaeus to warrant his wrath? What did he mean when he said to think of him and his Commander interfacing?

So many questions, and poor Steve had no idea where to even start looking for answers. But Arachnid said something that seemed to be helpful in some odd way, and the temptation of the reward was too great to ignore.

"True, but if I'm not mistaken, you wish to find the whereabouts of your previous Commander? Correct? If you do this task for me… I will reveal Starscream's location to you. Or the place I believe he is currently residing."

Steve lingered by the door. The conflict in his optics burned as he contemplated what his next move would be. He couldn't trust Arachnid, no Con on the ship did, but he could tell she was giving him some context of truth.

The feme smiled wickedly and liked away from the grounder so she could whisper seductively in Antaeus's audio. "Be patient my favorite toy… Because I have something very special planned for your white whale… And I promise it will be sweet."

The taller drone also smiled but replied to his mistress with a rather unexpected question.

"What the scrap is a white whale?"

 **-END-**


	13. Chapter 13

Hello again! I'm still a little tired from work yet, but I'll do my best to make this review short, but neat. We have circled back to the Autobots, and poor Ratchet is feeling a little under the weather… Waaaaay under the weather… And that's pretty much it, but there will be a little bit of a surprise towards the end.

No special shout outs here, but feel free to review anyway. I love to hear form my readers.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MECRY

Chapter 30.2

Autobots

Rest cycles for Cybertronians was somewhat of a sacred time for them. It was the time of day where they could relax their tired frames and rest weary optics. Any thoughts or questions they had mulling in their helms could either be set aside easier or thoroughly processed in their fluxes. If they were lucky enough, there would an answer waiting for them in the morning and all would be clear.

Of course nothing was more sacred to them then the blessing of sharing a berth with another be they berth mate or Bond mate. Even when recharging alone, Bots have always had the instinct to reach out for another, who or whomever they maybe. Optimus often pondered how he ever managed to recharge at all without Ratchet beside him. Nothing in his function felt as satisfying then when he laid beside his lover. Yet now that they had bonded, nothing was more terrifying to the Prime then falling into a deep recharge with his mate in his arms, then waking abruptly to find he was missing.

Alarmed but still groggy, Optimus slowly lifted himself upright, then twisted his helm in search of his missing partner.

"Ratchet…?" He whispered while sleepily patting his servo over the cushioned mesh. "Ratchet? Are you awake old friend?"

"I'm… I'm over here Optimus." Ratchet's voice emulated from the other side of the room. The Prime needed to adjust his optics to the dark. Through the void the bulky mech's frame took shape from where he sat on the floor. He had planted himself there after he finished purging for the third time that night. He didn't even glance at Optimus, not that he could with a servo rubbing the outer structure of his optics. The veteran actually feared that if he removed his digits, the throbbing in his processor would split his helm in two. Being a medic however, he knew better than that.

His audios seemed to pick up everything in the room, even the sound of his mate slipping out of his berth and pouring a glass of low-grade. Ratchet wanted to tell Optimus not to fuss. That he should just go back to recharge and he would clean up his own mess. He wanted to be his usual stubborn self and do what was needed to be done without bothering others to do it for him, but he was too exhausted to reflect his tenacious attitude, and he allowed the taller mech to sit next to him and hand him the cube of low grade.

Optimus was careful with the way he slid next to Ratchet since the white mech had rested his back against the wall. With one arm he gently slid between the wall and his mate's armor, so Ratchet's frame half rested on his chassis. His other servo held the cube he poured and still held onto it while the weaker mech sipped on it slowly.

When Ratchet had his fill he lightly nodded and tapped the servo holding the glass with a light hum. He would've felt more embarrassed by his show of weakness if his optical shutters didn't feel so heavy.

"This is the third time this week you have woken up like this." The red and blue mech whispered in concern. "Doesn't purging generally die out after the first month of conception? It's been over two."

"Not every mech is the same." Ratchet responded loosely as he relaxed into his lover's hold. "But you're right to be a little worried. I am as well after all. Even for my age I shouldn't feel so deteriorated."

"You haven't been feeding properly." Optimus stated merely as an observation. "Low-grade isn't a fine source of nutrition after all. It is simply used to settle an empty tank after a purge."

"Hmph… Are you trying to lecture me young mech?" The medic chuckled, barely noticing the servo behind his shoulder slipping over his frame and resting on the side of his waist. Optimus caressed the abdominal plating with light feather touches; treating the metal as if it were made of glass.

"When was your last internal diagnostics on yourself?"

"Five days ago." Ratchet's reply was wispy, but focused. I will conduct some more tests when we start our schedule today. In the meantime, I will be taking an extra ration with added minerals and try to fix the ultrasound while I'm at it."

"What is wrong with the ultrasound?" The taller mech asked while he took hold of Ratchet's servo with his free one. He took note of how weak the medic's grasp was, but Optimus did his best not to reflect the fretful feeling in his Spark through his EM field. It failed to go unnoticed, but Ratchet seemed almost unaware of his mate's apprehension.

"Nothing really. It's just the screen." The white mech coughed through his oral intake on a quiet yawn. "I am able to get a decent image for an accurate diagnosis, but the color tone won't adjust… I… Was hoping to use it… Find out our Sparklings gender…"

This confession made Optimus smile warmly. Though he didn't mind being surprised, the thought of discovering whether he was having a mech or feme made this experience more real. But such delightful thoughts would have to wait. First priority at the moment was focusing on Ratchet's well-being, and so far, the medic showed no signs of improving.

"Ratchet?" Optimus squeezed his lover's servo when he went quiet. "You shouldn't fall back into recharge here." He rested the side of his helm over the top of Ratchet's helmet, but quickly pulled away when he felt the heat of the metal seared his cheek-plating. "You are really burning up… Ratchet…? Ratchet? Can you hear me?"

There was no response at all. No subtle nod, no twitching in his frame, not even a deep rumble groan. But what concerned the Prime most of all was Ratchet's lack of cooling fans clicking on. Something was wrong, very wrong.

"Hold on Ratchet…" Optimus whispered in an anxious tone which fell upon deft audios. "I'm going to take you to the Main area. You're going to need an exam now."

The Prime slipped his arm under Ratchet's struts and carefully stood with his mate bridal against his chest. Ratchet's arms hung in the air and his helm slunk without any awareness of the world around him. Fear struck Optimus immediately when he noticed the silver coating on the medic's face began to dull. A true sign that something was definitely wrong. Now in a panic, Optimus kicked his doors open and ran as fast as his pedes could take him. There was already a medical berth set out from the other day when Arcee was hurt fighting Starscream, and that is where the Autobot leader set the Commanding Medical Officer to rest, unbeknownst to the number of witnesses as he did so.

Arcee and Bumblebee were already in the main area drinking their rations and preparing for their round of patrol duty. Miko had also woken up early with Silvia that morning. She had been curious about what her mentor did all day and was having a great time learning how all of the equipment in the base worked. For Silvia it was a rather nice twist to her routine until everyone was alerted to what was happening through Bumblebee's panic. His vocalizer whirled and crackled unlike it ever had before and the human girls hardly had time for a decent reaction.

"What's happening?" Miko squeaked in response to the yellow Bot's distress. Not able to see Optimus and Ratchet from her place on the platform, and she became just as worried.

"Wait here a moment." Her guardian instructed and became stern when the rebellious girl tried to stand in an attempt to follow anyway. "I mean it young lady! Stay put."

The ebony haired woman had a talent for addressing Miko's selective hearing, and when she was sure her ward was listening to her instructions the Captain stepped away to see what was happening. Miko leaned over her seat as far as she could in an attempt to follow her guardian. She watched as Silvia walked around the computer system on the landing and the nervous girl surprisingly didn't have to lean too far. Silvia stopped just barely out of her peripheral vision and her wide green eyes revealed the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh God…" Silvia tried to say quietly, but it caught Miko's attention with vigor. She stood and tried to walk over to her mentor, but the Captain intercepted her and pushed Miko back towards the elevator. She hooked her arm under the girls waist, ignoring the grunting noise she made in protest. "Miko! I want you to go back up stairs and stay there until I come and get you!"

"Wait!" She struggled in the green-eyed woman's grasp to no avail. "What's going on?! Is it Bulkhead?! Is he hurt?!"

"Upstairs! Now!" Miko was shoved into the lift so forcefully she nearly hit the wall. She did land on her knees but sprinted for the doors in one last attempt to get free. Silvia was not going to let up for anything and blocked her ward's exit while pushing the buttons for the third level. "It's not Bulkhead, but it's not good! I need you out of the way for a bit, because if I'm worrying about your welfare the whole time I'm trying to assist, I won't be of any help at all!"

"But…!" The tiny girl nearly cried, desperate for clarity on what was happening. "But…!"

"Oh sweetie…" Silvia knelt down and cradled Miko's face in her hands. "I'm sorry I'm scaring you right now, but I have no time to explain… I need you to be strong and stay out of the way for now. I promise, as soon as everything is settled, I will come and get you. Can you be strong for me and do this?"

"Okay…" A small whimper and a kiss to the forehead was their parting gesture, and Miko left without a fight.

Silvia regretted showing such distraught in front of the young girl, but there was no time for subtlety. When the elevator doors closed, the Captain reached for her equipment bag and ran to the edge of the landing. She climbed over the railing and slid over a portion of the Groundbridge console so she could reach the group easier. Both Arcee and Optimus made themselves useful and hooked Ratchet up to the monitoring systems with the little training they had in this situation. Bumblebee had left the room to get an Energon pack and the ultrasound to hand to Arcee. When he returned, he grabbed an IV drip line and attached it to the pack which he inserted in the protoform of the medic's forearm. Their leader had finished his share of attaching the equipment and moved to the other side of the berth, so he was out of the way for Arcee. She had better training from Ratchet in the field of Cybertronian medicine, so he did his best to stay out of her way, and make sure his Bond mate was comfortable. Silvia scrambled through her duffle bag and pulled out a few pieces of equipment she had been working on with Ratchet. With his help, she was able to create human sized medical tools to go with her ever growing knowledge of Cybertronian anatomy. Her hard work paid off as she used a crudely made, but effective handheld device.

"I don't see any anomalies on the ultrasound!" Arcee announced as she scanned the downed mech's frame slowly. "The monitors are showing a rise in temperature throughout his body, but it's not giving me a reason why!"

"Bumblebee!" Silvia shouted before leaping from the console and landing next to Ratchet's helm. She winced a moment when she felt the heat wafting from the metal but composed herself quickly for the tasks at hand. "Run back to the storage lot and get two bottles of coolant and another IV drip to attach them too! Arcee! I brought in a stack of old cloth tents last week so you guys could use them as towels! I need you to get them, run them under cold water in wash-racks and as cold as you can get the water, then bring them back so we can lace them over his frame! We need to bring his temperature down as quickly as possible!"

"Good thinking!" Arcee replied and set the ultrasound aside to run after Bumblebee, whom had already left with his instructions. Optimus stared down at the human dubiously, but she has proven herself time and time again that she could be trusted in a crisis, so he decided not to question her.

"Optimus! Lift me up slightly please!" She asked and was extended a servo without hesitation. The Prime slowly swept the Captain over Ratchet's front until she stopped him halfway over the white mech's midsection. Her device lit up with a crackling noise emitting from it and she toiled with its buttons and knobs.

"Have you found something?" Optimus asked as he held Ratchet's servo tightly in his free hand.

"I think so…!" Silvia admitted while adjusting the device with uncontrollable eagerness. "According to the information I've obtained form Ratchet, that while he's carrying, a little less than one third of his energy will be drained to protect and help his Sparkling develop. If my scans are correct, then more than nearly half that amount is being diverted to his gestation chamber."

"Is the Sparkling in any danger?"

"I can't tell." The human in the giant's servo replied. "But it's obvious his fuel intake is so low that he can't generate enough energy to cool himself, so the best we can do is help him refuel and manually adjust his air vents. Lift me to the side of his chassis."

"You know how to manually switch frame equipment?" The Prime asked with a small amount of doubt but indulged in Silvia's request.

"What can I say…?" She answered while reaching into the gap of the overheating mech's armor. "I'm a fast learner and Ratchet is a _very_ good teacher… Well, when it comes to Cybertronian lectures… Ouch!"

"Are you alright—?"

"Don't pull me back!" Silvia insisted when she felt a gentle tug on her hips. "I found the switch! I just need a little… Oomph! Elbow grease to switch it!"

Optimus could feel her struggle against his digits as she crawled nearly halfway into the crevasse. If the red and blue mech had the knowledge of where the air vent switch was in a Bot's frame, he would've volunteered to do it himself. But the seam Silvia was exploring was so thin, there was no doubt he would have to prop Ratchet's armor open. That would cause more problems if he did.

"Almost…" Silvia's voice was muffled through the metal and protoform wiring. The heat in Ratchet's body was rising higher by the second and the color in his faceplate was growing paler. In the back of Optimus's processor was begging him to shout in frustration, but if there was a prize for self-restraint the Prime would be champion. However, his worry was washed over with an overwhelming sense of relief when he heard the loud click beneath his digits.

"Eureka!" The ebony haired woman cried out happily, which was followed by a whirling gust of hot air over her face. "Ack! Now you can pull me out! Pull me out!"

"Oh! Sorry…" Optimus apologized and set Silvia back onto the landing; doing his best not to snicker at the way her hair was blown back and tangled up right.

Both Bumblebee and Arcee arrived back in time to hear Ratchet gently gasp himself back online. His core temperature began to cool, and the color in his plating started light up and even flush. Arcee started to evenly place the wet clothes over his chassis just in time to see his optics flutter online.

"Wha…?" The medic whispered. "What… H-Happened…?"

"Shhh…" His mate hushed him as his servo caressed the top of the tired mech's helmet. "Your systems shut down for a moment… But Silvia and the others helped to replenish and cool your systems."

Ratchet closed his optics again and lifted his helm into Optimus's touch. His own servo lazily grazed over his torso and he swallowed nervously. "Spark… Sparkling… Is the Sparkling alright…?"

"We're checking now…" Arcee reached for the ultrasound after she finished helping Bumblebee set up the coolant drip. Before she knelt beside the berth, she took time to brush her hand lightly over the younger mech's back. She knew how important Ratchet was to him, and it broke her spark to see her friend shake with anxiety. Everyone felt a portion of their soul sink when they all saw the tears in the veteran's optics begin to pool.

"I… Don't…" He quietly whimpered. "I don't… Want to…"

"Nothing is set in stone yet my love." Optimus placed his servo over Ratchet's shivering hand. "We won't do anything you don't want us to… Shhh… Just try to relax and allow us to take care of you for a change."

The thought of relaxing now was easier said than done. Now that the medic was gaining more of his consciousness, his mind began to drift into his memories. This was so familiar, and it was scaring him to no end. He was reliving the nightmare he went through after he left Megatron, and he was terrified of all the symptoms he was experiencing. He couldn't help but ask himself, was he going to lose this one too?

"I think I have a theory on why he was losing so much energy…" Silvia collected the entire rooms attention as she thumbed over her handheld. "Arcee? Can you bring the ultrasound down to Ratchet's gestation chamber? This time, kind of angle it a little to the side."

The blue feme nodded and waited for Optimus to lift his and the medic's servo. She leaned over Ratchet's form then wriggled her wrist in a circle with the handheld tilting to her right. The scanner on the ultrasound made its usual humming sound that was normally soothing to Ratchet, but this time it did nothing to ease the tension in his thoughts. When it finally beeped to indicate the scanning was finished, he tensed again and gently tightened his digits over his lover's thumb. In response he received more shushing noises and gentle caresses over his brow. It helped but didn't stop his fears from building. Especially when Arcee glanced at the handheld monitor and gasped an, _'Oh my…'_.

"Question Ratchet…" Silvia smirked when the blue feme showed her the results of the scan. "Is it possible for Cybertronians to carry multiple offspring?"

"What?" Optimus was the first to ask. "Are you saying…? Really?"

"I know Ratchet has been trying to repair this old ultrasound for a while, but I also know that it can still read and reveal internal structures… And when Sparklings are in the beginning of development they only register as balls of fluffy light…"

Arcee smiled when Silvia nodded her head in Ratchet's direction, and she turned the handheld around so both he and Optimus could see it. "There are two lights on the screen…" She nearly sobbed from the news, both excited to discover it and happy for her comrades. "You're having twins…"

Before anything else was addressed, Ratchet wept in his own recovered repose. He was so nervous that he might need to terminate his conception, he didn't think of the possibility that he was actually carrying twins.

"Two…" He smiled with streams of optical fluid streaking down his blushing face. "Optimus… By the grace of Primus… We're having two…"

"And that means your rations are going to need to be doubled," Silvia paced sternly on the landing, "your rest cycles are going to need to be longer, and you're going to need to add double the minerals to your servings and—!"

"And by the grace of Primus, I'm still more than capable of caring for myself…" Ratchet interrupted the human woman above him as the light in his optics started to brighten. "I may have had a spell, but I am not an invalid."

"There he is." The Prime hummed in delight and nuzzled his fore-helm over his mates'. "There's the real Ratchet."

"Heh… And don't you forget it…"

* * *

Silvia cradled her arm as she took the lift to the third level. She had burned herself on Ratchet's metal as she tried to turn the switch in the seam. It was a small burn, but it's still stung. She tried to sneak into the bathroom before Miko had a chance to see it, but the little fireball of a girl intercepted her at the door… And she took off like a rocket.

"What happened?! Who's hurt?! Are you sure Bulkhead is okay?! Is there still something that needs to be done?! Can I help?! What about Ratchet?! Is something wrong with the robot baby?!" She came up for air for only two seconds before she noticed her guardian was favoring her arm, which encouraged one more question. "What happened to you?!"

"Okay, stop." The Captain bent over to look her ward in the eyes and placed her opposite hand over Miko's shoulder. "Breath…" She directed the girl and waited for her to calm herself in slow gasps. When Silvia was positive Miko was settled, she lowered herself further down so she could look up at the frightened young lady. "Ratchet woke up a little sick this morning, and needed help cooling off. He is fine now, and we even found out some good news. Turns out Ratchet is going to have twins… Isn't that exciting?"

Miko shivered a little because she was forcing herself not to cry. The poor girl was so frustrated and angry she nearly screamed but restrained herself with whatever strength she had in her conscious. Silvia sighed and pulled her ward into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I yelled at you Miko… I didn't mean to frighten you like that. Can you ever forgive me?"

"W-Will you… Let me bandage your arm…?" Miko wavered but hugged her mentor back as her resolve finally cracked. Her tears soaked into Silvia's shoulder and she nuzzled her face further into the crook of the ebony haired woman's neck.

"Oh brave girl, of course you can…" Silvia thought it was rather amazing how this fearless girl could run towards a fire with a sharp grin on her face, but when one of her friends was hurt, she was in just as much pain. There was a lot of potential in this young lady, the Captain could tell and was determined to coax it out of her one of these days. "And when were done with that, we can make some homemade popcorn, and watch some Netflix in my room until we fall asleep. We can take the rest of the day off, and you get to pick what we watch."

"Something rated R?"

"Don't push your luck kid…"

 **-END-**


	14. Chapter 14

Hello one and all! I forgot to finish this chapter before posting chapter 33 for MERCY. Behold! All the fluff I could muster for the past three months! I am sorry it is so slapped together. XD

Ratchet has a moment with Silvia, then a moment with Optimus, and Silvia gives Fowler more grief. Bottom line really. Have fun!

No special shout outs here, but don't let that stop anyone from reviewing and asking questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Autobots

Chapter 32.2

Saturday nights were mildly chaotic in the Autobot base, especially when Silvia granted Miko a slumber party with the boys. A small routine was forged from this tradition. When the children finally _'settled'_ into their video games, movies, and snacks, Ratchet would move some of his calculations to a datapad then retreat to Optimus's quarters. Sometimes he would work on some miniscule work, and sometimes, if Optimus showed up, he would spend time with his mate. Often times they would talk and reminisce, and sometimes they would just hold each other in what remained of the quiet (since they could still hear the children down the hall). More often than not, this led to one or two of the veteran Bots to fall into recharge. A small nap to reward themselves from such a long day.

As for the rest of the bots, they usually had patrol duty, but now and then they would stop to participate in the festivities. Bumblebee loved playing racing games most of all, while Arcee and Bulkhead had fun playing guessing games with their own human wards. The main rule to these slumber parties was for the children to end them at ten at the latest, which is why Ratchet found it odd that he could still hear the television set when he roused himself from his recharge. The noise was faint enough to not really bother him, but when he checked his internal clock, he noticed the time was well past eleven. Why were the kids still awake? And why didn't Silvia break up their party when it was getting late?

The medic thought to himself that he may as well go check on them now that he was awake. Carefully he slid away from Optimus's form, gingerly kissing his forehelm before standing and walking away. He wobbled in the halls a moment when the little lifeforms in his gestation tank began to swirl and somersault. They knew that Ratchet was awake, there for, they must also be awake.

"Oomph… Settle down you two." Ratchet patted his abdominal plating. "We're not going on a very long trip after all."

Though it was not a long trip it soon developed into a lingering one. Stepping into the main area he discovered all three of the human children fast asleep on the landing. Silvia was also there, propping heads with pillows and lacing long blankets over them. She was in the process of carefully removing Raff's glasses before she noticed her Autobot friend softly treading to the balcony.

"Hey." She whispered as she tucked the glasses over the television. "I lost track of time while I was doing some paperwork and forgot to check on the kids. Looks like the sandman beat me too them."

"Sandman?" Ratchet whispered back, more or less confused.

"I'll explain later." Still she spoke softly while she dropped the last blanket over Miko. She then stopped to brush some of the sleeping girl's hair back tenderly. "They look comfortable where they are. It should be alright if they sleep here tonight."

"I don't see a problem with it." The white bot replied in agreement. "As long as they clean up the mess they made in the morning."

"You know they will." The ebony haired woman quietly chuckled while reaching for the remote. "They're good at that."

"Oh, don't worry about turning the set off." Ratchet rose his servo and waved it a little. "You might accidentally wake them up."

"Ah." Was her response in agreement. "Good point." The remote was placed back on the table, then she tip-toed over to the railing to speak with the medic quietly without disturbing the sleeping lambs.

"How are you feeling?" She asked and leaned over the railing beside Ratchet's helm.

"Much better." Ratchet sighed over a weak smile. "Silvia… About what you did for me…"

"You don't have to say anything Ratchet." Silvia patted the railing closest to her friend's faceplate. "If the situation was reversed, you would attempt to do the same for me."

"Attempt would be the key word." The mech's smile deepened slightly. "I don't know a thing about human anatomy, and if I ever tried to help you, I might accidentally squish you." His optics dipped low and he tapped his index finger next to the Captain's hand. "I still want to say thank you, if I haven't already."

With a soft look in her emerald eyes, Silvia closed the distance between them and kissed the side of the white mech's faceplate. "You're welcome Ratchet." She stepped closer to nuzzle her forehead over the spot she kissed and rested there for a moment. The digit Ratchet left on the railing slid closer and curled around her shoulders. It was a very, very rare show of affection from the veteran medic, especially towards a human, but as long as no one was around to witness such affection he didn't mind expressing it. He thought he was safe until he heard what sounded like a cellphone snapshot.

"It's a Kodak moment." Miko snickered mischievously from her position on the couch, her cell held in her hand and pointing it like a western showdown. In her mind, she just won at the stroke of noon.

"You little scrap!" Ratchet grumped but stifled himself when Raff began to shift in his sleep. Silvia still shushed him before walking over to Miko and taking her phone away.

"You'll get this back in the morning… If I feel like giving it back."

"But Silvia—." The little girl protested weakly but was also hushed back into silence.

"Go back to sleep…" Silvia whispered as she tucked her young ward back under the blankets. "Sunday is chore day, remember? You're going to help me clean out the industrial vents."

"Are they high up?" Miko smiled tiredly and closed her eyes when her guardian stroked a finger lightly over the bridge of her nose.

"Very high…" The woman above her answered. "And Bulkhead is going to assist us this time, so you need to rest because I can't give him a hard time all by myself."

Miko was asleep again before she even heard the last statement, and Silvia stood carefully away. She glanced at the phone in her hand and smiled at the picture still visible on the screen. "I think I might keep this photo. It's a nice shot."

"Please don't." Ratchet shook his helm in annoyance, but Silvia just giggled.

"I'm going to bed now." She tucked the flip phone away in her back pocket. "You should go back and recharge too. You need to get as much rest as you can… So you can keep up with those two light balls brewing in your tank."

"Maybe the 'sand man' can help me out." The white mech waved goodnight to Silvia as she entered the elevator and giggled a little louder.

"Good night Ratchet." She mouthed before the lift doors closed all the way.

"Good night Silvia." Ratchet whispered back. He was almost out of the room when he walked away, but one more voice stopped him.

"Good night Ratchet…"

"Good night Miko." He replied. "Go back to sleep now."

Ratchet was barely halfway down the hall before he was intercepted by his mate. Optimus yawned tiredly but expressed his relief when he found his Bearer safe. "When I didn't find you in our berth, I was afraid you might not be feeling well again." The Prime grazed the back of his servo over Ratchet's faceplate, taking note of the medic's smile. "You appear to be alright."

The shorter mech wanted to answer him positively, but there was a sudden jump in his stomach. He braced himself against Optimus, shocked for a minute, but then started to laugh.

"My goodness..." The white mech blushed a little, slightly embarrassed by his weakness. "These two act like they're ready to come out and see the world now. If I didn't know any better, one was doing cartwheels and the other tried to leap up through my intakes."

His mate chuckled and Ratchet instantly relaxed into his frame. His voice was so soothing and deep, the white mech hardly noticed Optimus's arm move. Not until a servo affectionately circled over the rounded swell in Ratchet's torso.

"Hush now my little ones." The taller mech hummed as he kissed the top of Ratchet's helm. "Be still now. It is time to rest."

It was amazing how quickly the sparklings stopped their swirling and settled into an easy swim. Now relieved of the tiny lifeform's mischief, the medic could properly embrace his lover and found enjoyment from the irony.

"Don't ever go far when they are born," Ratchet huffed, "I know for a fact that they are going to be a hand full… And I'm almost certain they are both femes. Femes always listen to their Sires."

"But always look to their Bearer's for guidance." Optimus's helm dipped lower, and he breathed in his mate's sent. The mech swooned on his exhale, the warmth of the exhaust making his knee joints weak. Ratchet sighed peacefully and rested further into the Prime's arms. He wanted to stay that way forever in his lover's embrace, warm and safe from the rest of the world.

"Optimus…" He whispered as he slid his servo over his mate's. The swimming under the plating virtually stilled, but playfully shivered under the mesh.

Optimus laced his digits with Ratchet's as he continued to swirl his other large hand comfortingly. "Is something wrong my love?"

"No…" Ratchet leaned his helm up and he could feel his mate's spark skip a flux under his broad red chassis. It was strong and the old war veteran's greatest comfort. A long time ago, Ratchet was able to record the Prime's spark for his health profile, and when no one was around he would play it. In fact, that is how they decided to bond, because Optimus walked in on him listening to it. An embarrassing argument and a storm off through the ground bridge later led to their union. At the time it felt like an uncontrollable surge that just exploded out of nowhere and both bots were holding it back for too long.

But ever since Ratchet's incident with the Synth-N, he could barely feel the connection the two of them had created, and because he was carrying, they would not be able to bond. If the two lovers tried before there sparklings were delivered there was a high chance they could hurt them. So far, the white mech's best connection to his mate was the sparklings. When he wasn't as close as he was now against Optimus's frame, he was able to feel his spirit through the playful fluttering in his tanks. Ratchet knew the difference between the twins because of it. One was energetic and bold, the braver of the two, and the other was more strategic. This little one moved around just as much as it's sibling but did a better job of planning out his or her strikes. Somersaults and cartwheels were the daily routine and every bump, and every swirl reminded Ratchet of the love he had for Optimus… And the love he knew the semi had for him.

"Everything is perfect…" The ambulance whispered with the most genuine smile on his faceplate. "Let's go back to bed—."

"You have a lot of nerve coming down here tonight!" Silvia's not all that quiet whispering echoed down the opposite side of the halls. The agitation in her voice was so clear it encouraged his little life forms to announce their presence once more. "I told you the children were staying the night! You couldn't let this wait until the next morning?!"

"And give you an opportunity to flee! Not a chance!"

"Was that Fowler's voice?" Optimus questioned while stroking Ratchet's back. The sudden rush of energy in his stomach nearly knocked the swollen medic off his pedes.

"I think so…" Ratchet replied to let his mate know he was alright and didn't stay winded for long. "What is he doing here in the middle of the night?"

Both mech's walked towards the voices that sounded as if they were drawing closer and became even angrier as they approached. Just at the turn off to the main area the two humans stood close enough to hit each other and Ratchet feared for a moment that they might. The Bot's couldn't hear everything that was said, but apparently one thing led to another and Fowler reached over to grab Silvia by the arm.

"Don't touch me!" She hissed and backed away. You have no right to be here right now anyway! I still out rank you and didn't give you permission to be here!"

"You're rank means nothing when I have permission from your higher officials to come down here and retrieve you!" The agent wasn't backing down and went against Silvia's orders. Pulling out a pair of handcuffs from his jacket, Fowler again stepped in front of her and tried to restrain her. "I'm taking you in—Oomph!"

He barely took hold of the ebony haired woman's wrist before he was spun around and forced face first into the wall behind him. Silvia had pinned his arms behind him and cuffed the agent with his own cuffs. "I told you not to touch me!"

"What's going on here?" Optimus startled the duo of humans and earned their attention without any opposition, but the tension held between the organics weaved into the air like water rushing between tightly placed rocks.

"It's nothing Optimus, really." Silvia sighed tiredly. "It's just a misunderstanding, and Agent Fowler was just leaving."

"Err! Not… Without you… Urgh! In my custody!" The large man in his own restraints grunted as he struggled with his hands behind his back. Silvia was quick in her defense and immediately rebuffed everything Fowler accused her of.

"I didn't do anything wrong Bill! This is a huge misunderstanding! All I did was change my last name. A lot of people do it, even in the military."

"But most people in the military don't change their name because they have a flag on it!"

"Shut up!"

"Silvia!" Quickly, but carefully, Ratchet placed his ped in front of his hot-headed friend and stopped her from swinging at the Agent. While Optimus was still steadying him with a servo, the medic knelt to one knee and offered his free hand in comfort for her. He had never seen her so upset before, but then again, he only knew Silvia for a few months. There was probably a lot about the emerald eyed woman he didn't know about. What he did know was how close they had become in their short time together, so Ratchet wasn't ready to doubt her. Not when she took hold of his digit with shaky hands and looked up at him with a heartbreaking look in her eyes. She was afraid, and her eyes glistened like glass almost begging the white mech for help. "Calm down… Explain what happened and we'll straighten this out."

"Forgive me…" Silvia sighed again and patted the metal of Ratchet's index digit. "I'm mostly upset for the children. Agent Fowler should have waited until the children were not in the base to drudge this issue up."

"What issue are we dealing with?" Optimus questioned and subtly lifted his own ped to catch Fowler before he lost his balance.

"First things first, could you?" The older Agent grouched and gestured to Silvia to undo his bindings. Curling her lip she practically spat her answer.

"When I feel like it…"

Seeking reinforcements, Fowler glanced between the Autobots. "Uh-uh…" Ratchet huffed. "Don't bother looking at us. Just start explaining."

"I was given an order to bring Silvia back to the State base in Hawthorne." Fowler gave up his fighting and tried to point at a manila file on the floor. Reluctantly, he allowed the woman that cuffed him to pick up the folder and open it for all to see. Silvia scoffed instantly and held the paperwork up for the giant's to see for themselves that she had nothing to hide.

"This is all a mistake." She glared at Fowler and gave him no room to dodge the fury of her gaze. "Before I was sworn in as Captain and sent out to work with you guys, I had filed to change my last name. If I didn't, I wouldn't be allowed to work here, so I took the name from my mother's side of the family. Bella. You know Bill, like _General_ Bella? My grandfather! If you would have just called him before coming here, we could have avoided this mess."

"This says you signed your transfer papers under a false name." Optimus observed the file after adjusting the visuals in his optics. "Did you sign with your original name or with your new name?"

"I signed with my new name after filing, but sometimes these documents don't get filed right away." Feeling as though she had let Fowler suffer enough, Silvia set the file aside and started searching his pockets for the keys to his cuffs. "I discussed an early transfer despite the late filing with my Grandfather and he granted me a temporary transfer permit. It hasn't even expired yet and I have a copy of the permit in my room."

"Which sort of begs the question," Ratchet chimed in, "why didn't you bring Agent Fowler up to your loft instead of down here?"

"Because I still don't trust him, and he still doesn't trust me." The curl in Silvia's black bangs bounced a little when she roughly removed the cuffs from Fowler's wrists. "Ever since he received word, I would be transferred to the base he's had it in for me. I don't need him in my personal quarters and eyeing everything in sight in the hopes he can use something against me."

"Are you seriously accusing me of slander?" Fowler stood upright and rubbed the base of his hands. "I'm only here based on the facts. Fact is, you entered this base without informing me of this quote, _misunderstanding_! This base and the inhabitants in it have been my responsibility before you popped in!"

"Don't do that!" If Silvia wasn't defensive before she definitely was now. "If you have a beef with me, then you have a beef with _me_! Don't be petty and try to cover it up by using the Autobots as an excuse!"

"I'm not just being paranoid about this!" The Agent retaliated with his defense, feeling very offended by these allegations against him. "You joined the army right after you received your last doctorate! Why did it take you so long to file for a proper name change?!"

Suddenly everything went quiet, and Silvia cradled the cuffs she was still holding. She closed her eyes and took a long deep breath, while she tried to ignore the cold draft of air sweeping through the corridor. "Silvia…?" Ratchet cooed and inched his servo close to her once more. "Are you okay…?"

"I'm fine." Silvia flashed her green eyes. Her expression was unreadable, but the red haze over her alabaster skin revealed her conflict. She handed the cuffs back to Fowler, but when his hand was over hers, she encased it and held it for a moment. "I… Was engaged before I decided I wanted to join the army. If I married him… I wouldn't need to change my name, because I would have taken his… I would have if… If he wasn't killed."

"What…?" The tall man was awestruck. He didn't know what to say and he couldn't move. Optimus also expressed his astonishment with a soft lift of his brow. He was also surprised to see how his mate was somehow unaffected by this news. Ratchet appeared saddened for his friend, but he acted as if he had heard about this before.

"Before you ask yes, I knew about the flag on my father's name for a long time, but I was told that I could enlist as long as I used my mother's name. I'm not the first to jump through these ridiculous hoops, and the only reason my Grandfather didn't push the files through his influence is because I told him not to. I didn't want him to get in trouble for favoritism… He already did so much for me as it is." Silvia let go of Fowler's hand and started to walk back to the main area, but apparently the Agent still had one more question that was lingering on everyone's mind.

"What was your last name before you enlisted?" He stared at the cuffs in his hands as if they were a sacred relic. "It was stricken from the files I received, so I don't know why you were flagged."

"Is this some sort of trust exercise for you Bill?" Her emerald eyes reflected a sad smile, but she didn't turn back to face anyone. "If you really must know… It was Hart… And if I kept my name as it was… My full name would be Silvia _Pearl_ Hart…"

"Pearl Hart?" The two Bots were confused, but it somehow held relevance for Fowler. "Oh… Oh! _That_ Pearl Hart?! Famous Arizona stagecoach robber and bad ass female outlaw Pearl Hart!? I thought she was pardoned for her crimes?!"

"You almost sound starstruck." Silvia laughed almost out of sight. "And she was, but the US government still left a marker on her file. Almost one hundred years later, and her descendants are still getting licked for her mistakes."

"Just when I thought you couldn't be more awesome you turn out to be the great grand-daughter of one of the most famous female outlaws of old Western America?" Miko appeared out of nowhere and immediately hugged her mentor with her cat like smirk. There was a chance she heard a lot more than that since her eyes were beaded with small tears. "It is official! You are my real mother!"

"Oh Miko!" Again Silvia laughed and held the little girl's head tight to her and began to pet Miko's hair. "I'm not going anywhere…"

"Good." Ratchet added. "Because I might just lose my bolts if there wasn't someone here to keep an eye on you missy."

"Love you too Ratchet." Miko stuck her tongue out at Ratchet while Silvia lifted her up to rest her head on her mentors shoulders. Her guardian stepped away after Miko hooked her legs around Silvia's waist, but there was still enough time to say one last thing. "Good night."

The medic huffed over a sleepy smirk. "I really do hope that's the last time we say that tonight."

 **-END-**


	15. Chapter 15

Hello one and all! Good news! The hours in the factory have finally been cut back, so I got my Fridays and Saturdays free again! WOO-HOO! Of course that also means less money, but I think I can afford that for now, but it also means more time for my fanfiction!

 **Fare warning! Please read before you start the story!** This chapter has depictions of **non-con** in it, so if this type of angst makes anyone uncomfortable, please move on. You have been warned so I don't ant to hear any complaints about it in the comments. As for the summary, Steve runs down to report back to Arachnid and stays there longer than he expects.

I don't usually leave shout outs in the one shots, but a little heads up to Guest, thanks for the review, and you are right I am dragging my feet a little, but try not to get ahead of me… Because I can't even get a head of me. XD  
Rest assured that I do have plans for Steve and Cass, but they might not be what your expecting… Or is it? Woooo~~…

 **WARNINGS:** If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 33.2

Arachnid, Antaeus, and Steve

"What do you mean not enough information?!" Steve slammed his servos on the table behind Arachnid's head. The spider like feme didn't even flinch and just continued to casually clean and sharpen her digits. Dealing with unruly cadets was never a problem for her, not when she could rip their helms off if she felt like it. Fortunately for the Vehicon behind her she was still making her claws look pretty. Steve growled from being ignored and scraped his digits over the cold steel of the table. "We had a deal! I find out if Megatron has a lover and get his name, and you tell me Starscream's location! I was nearly deactivated gathering this intel that you instructed me to get!"

"And through other revenues I have already acquired the knowledge I needed." Arachnid smirked as she gently blew away dust off her sharpened digits. "And I do apologize, but the information I had off the seeker's location changed as well. I sent one of my followers to double check, and I was wrong."

"So you put me through the pit and back for nothing!" His anger was understandable, even though it was pure luck that he managed to get into Megatron's quarters at all. He was thinking about what he could do to get in without being caught as he was walking right by the med-bay. The drone wasn't expecting for his plan to fall into his lap, or in his case, chassis. When he got into the chambers, Steve wasn't expecting the young model he caught to be so hospitable. He felt awful for frightening the young model like he did, but the roundness of his plating was suspicious.

There was just something about this drone that didn't fit. He didn't know how it was possible Cass was carrying and Steve probably pushed him a little too much for an answer. Of course, it was a detail he decided to leave out during his audience with Arachnid. If Megatron found out that the feme knew and she used her source to level her punishment, Steve could get in trouble. He already dodged one close call of a horrendous beating, so he didn't need to possibly incriminate himself for another.

"Not for nothing…" Arachnid stood up from the couch, wiggling her hips a little to emphasize her control over the situation. "Consider this a test to your loyalty. And you passed! With flying colors."

"Loyalty?!" Such a crass claim, and the Vehicon would not take part in it. Not after being lied to. "The only thing that is keeping me from stabbing you in the back struts are the protocols programmed in my CPU! If you weren't the current Second in Command I would—!"

"Still do nothing because I could kill you with a flick of my wrist." The large spider unfurled her extra legs on a brief stretch, revealing all of her sharp knives in her attempt of intimidation. It worked, and Steve shuffled on his pedes back, but he didn't change the stern tension in his shoulders. Arachnid lightly cackled in her throat and walked around the living area till she reached the high-grade cabinet. As she poured herself a glass the grounder couldn't help but sneer at her abhorrent comfort in these living quarters. This place once brought Steve solace because it once belonged to Starscream. For a while, when he would step inside, he would have fleeting visions of himself and his Commander in the most wonderful throws of passion. He didn't know what these visions meant, all he knew was how real they felt, but now that Arachnid had taken control of the chambers those visions had all but ceased. She and that monster of an Eradicon had defiled such sacred ground. Not that Steve needed an excuse to hate the duo fliers more.

"Thirsty?" Arachnid smirked as she tried to hand a quarter filled cube to the drone and sipping on her own full to the brim cube. Again she was mocking him, and without hesitation he swatted the glass from her servos. She didn't get upset, she didn't even frown, she just stood in suspension and glanced over Steve's shoulder. "Was that really necessary? You could have just said no."

"You need to be taught some manners, Vehicon." A new voice surprised Steve from behind but what he wasn't expecting was to be thrown down and pinned to the table beneath him. A forearm forced his faceplate over the frozen steel, and a servo pinned his recently rewelded wrist behind his back. Steve yelped as the pain burned up his arm-strut and ignited under his tires. There was no mystery to who was restraining him, and the Vehicon cursed himself for allowing himself to be so easily caught again.

"Get off me Antaeus! Ah!" The pressure on his wrist increased as his assailant leaned over his back and heavily breathed over his neck cables. The taller mech clearly wasn't wearing his battle visor since Steve could feel something long, thick, and wet slithering over his audio receptor. The familiarity of disgust rose up from his tanks and left an acidy taste in the back of his intake. Panic was the next step when the servo on his wrist retreated to his interfacing paneling, and he shifted violently under the heavy weight of Antaeus's larger body.

"Let's not go through this again!" The Eradicon's forearm pushed harder down onto Steve's neck, choking the grounder and breaking his bottom visor clasp from the force. The grounder began to still, unable to get enough air in his vents to properly move. "That's it… Just settle and relax…"

Antaeus turned his helm to Arachnid and smiled as he slightly drooled in eagerness. "Now mistress… Now may I have my prize… Please…"

"So adorable when he begs, is he not?" The spider like feme leaned over the table and gently slid gasping drone's mask off. "It makes it very hard to resist him. But I'm sure you are just so uncomfortable like this. If you behave and agree to do one more task for me, I will tell him to let you up. Just one… More… Little… Task."

Those sharpened digits she finished polishing danced on every word she spoke over the side of Steve's helm but then soothed the flat of her hand over his cheek-plating. She watched as the Vehicon weakly wheezed and tried to mouth his reply.

"Yes? What is it?" Arachnid cooed and leaned in closer to listen to his pathetic whispers. Her reply was not what she was expecting.

"G-Go… Frag yourself…"

"Hm…" The feme sighed, not happy with his answer, but remained poised as she stood back up right. "Open his panel."

"No!" It was futile to protest since his modesty cover clicked open before he could say anything more. Steve air vents were clicking so fiercely he didn't even feel Antaeus's digits in his seems. One flip of a switch and he was unwillingly exposed, and he cried when those same digits began to circle outside of his unlubricated valve. "Please…" His whimper went unheeded as one finger began to probe slowly outside his entrance. "No… _Cough!_ Please stop… Y-You can't…"

"But I can…" The taller mech hissed impatiently. "I just need to wait for my Mistress's command…" He waited there for a minute before making cute whining noises and pouted his lip-plates at the sadistic feme. "May I now my Lady?"

"Patience my toy." Arachnid crossed her arms and sneered devilishly. "Give the poor kid some time to think about his decision carefully… Oh, and have a little courtesy and wet your digits for the lowly thing."

"Mmm… You are much too generous my Lady." Antaeus growled and withdrew his large hand, offering Steve a small amount of relief. The tall flier licked and suckled heavily on his fingers, giving the grounder beneath him plenty of time to think.

"Last chance little mech." The violet feme whispered in a chummy tone. "I promise it will be the last thing you do for me, and I will use my own resources to help you find you precious Commander…"

"Why…?" Optical fluid collected under Steve's golden irises and he tried to lift his helm just a little to get more air. He succeeded but was pushed right back down onto the table where his tears finally slid down his silver metal. "Why me…? Th-There are… Hundreds of drones… To choose from… Why…?"

"Aww…" Arachnid cooed while Antaeus placed his hand back over Steve's valve. His digits this time slicker and creating less friction. "Because I like you too much Steve… And Antaeus is just obsessed with you. He has been a very loyal servant to me for a long time now, so he has earned a few rewards from me… And you just happen to be one of the prizes on his wish list."

The teasing to his valve increased and shamefully it began to lubricate. It was just a natural reaction to the ministrations, but it still filled Steve with guilt. Antaeus was enjoying every single second of the Vehicon's suffering. He waited a long time for this, and it was killing him to wait for Arachnid's signal to just take him and be done with it. Yet prolonging this endeavor was making it all the sweeter.

"Say no again…" He whispered with gritted dental-plates. "Oh please defy the first Lieutenant, and let me finally taste your delectable frame once and for all… I bet you are just delicious—. Wait… What is that…?" In a careless minute, Antaeus accidentally pushed his digit inside Steve a little too far and hit something. It had been such a long time since he felt such thing, he didn't believe it was what he thought it was. "Is that…? By the All-Spark! Steve my pretty! Do you still have your seal?!"

"Oh my!" Even Arachnid gasped and went back to stroking her slim hand over the side of his helm. "How precious! You of all mechs, still innocent? What a surprisingly rare find."

"Alright…!" Steve opened his optics wide and he froze in place, fearing if he moved, he would accidentally push the digit further inside of him. He did not want to break his seal this way, not in the least. So he surrendered to the feme entirely. "Alright… You win… W-Whatever you want… Just please don't… Uhn! Please don't take away… My only possession…"

"Good boy." The spider feme purred. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She stepped away one more time and curled herself behind Antaeus. The way he shivered impatiently made Arachnid chortle in her intake and to show her admiration to his enthusiasm she cupped her servos over his codpiece. "Let him go now my favorite plaything. You will have to chase this mouse another day."

"My Lady…?" Antaeus trembled at the thought, but Arachnid was clear with her instructions. The tall flier was going to have to back away and he did so very slowly. First lifting his body off Steve's back and letting him collect more air, but the large hand over the Vehicon's valve lingered. For a moment, Steve believed he could feel the servo withdraw, until it suddenly jerked forward and he felt something painfully pop.

"NO!" Steve cried like he had never cried before and fell to the floor completely distraught. He curled his knees to his chassis defensively while he sobbed into his servo. This wasn't happening. It just wasn't possible. His seal wasn't just broken. Not now… Not by the worse mech on the ship next to Megatron.

"Oops…" The wicked drone licked his fingers again, his shivering slowing from the taste of lubricants giving him some sick satisfaction. "My hand slipped… Forgive me my Mistress…?"

"Hmmm… For now." Arachnid slithered around the stoic form of the Eradicon and reached for a small darkened datapad on the opposite end of the table. She knelt on one knee next to Steve's helm and tucked the device under one of his tightly gripped servos. "This is no ordinary datapad, it is a blackout datapad. There is no way to turn it on, log into it, read info from it, or hack it. It doesn't do anything until I activate it from a secret server. Keep it with you at all times, and when it activates, memorize everything on it, then throw it into a designator. Do everything as I have instructed of you… And I will grant your wishes to the fullest of my abilities."

She stood and left Steve a quivering mess upon the floor. Left to mourn the sliver of his innocence he let slip from his grasp and that very moment he felt as though he would deactivate and even believed he would welcome death. For what was the longest span of time for the Vehicon, Steve just stared out to the center of the room as the soft dark lights on the ground slowly spun. Another memory was forming, but this one was different when the living area began to change shape. He could hear Arachnid and Antaeus speaking to each other in muffled tones. They were also fading away, and Steve welcomed their absence, even if it was just in his processor.

" _Steve…"_ A delightful relief it was to hear Starscream's voice slip over his audios, so he closed his optics and envisioned the adored all his function. He prayed that this fantasy was a pleasant one. It should be, if it was entirely about his beloved. _"Steve… Don't give up… I need you…"_

This was different from his other visions he had before. This didn't feel like a possible memory like the others he had. It somehow felt like an open communication, but that couldn't be right. For one thing, he turned off his comm links before entering the room, no one could contact them if they wanted to. It must have been his CPU playing tricks on him. He was just so desperate for anything to give him some sort of comfort that he began to fabricate his former Commander's voice, but as his optics grew heavy, he thought that he would allow it to happen. He would allow his insanity to immerse his thoughts and listen to his imagination whisper sweet nothings over his audios.

" _Please… Stay with me…"_ The voice washed around him so soothingly Steve could have sworn he felt Starscream's servos glide over his trembling frame. He remembered feeling this way before during what he believed was a flashback and it turned out to be Antaeus, but the Vehicon didn't care. He could just keep pretending, because the reality of his function was that this was the best he was ever going to receive. _"Be strong my soldier, for I have something to tell you. Something I have been holding in my Spark for so long and… I'm just not brave enough to say it aloud yet… So please don't slip away from me. I need you still…"_

Was this a memory? It felt so real, but it couldn't be, no matter how much he wished it was true. He thought his delusion was over when he could no longer feel the invisible hands on him evaporated, but something warm dropped onto his cheek. Was it a kiss? A finale farewell to satisfy his fallacy? But that couldn't be right either, since the warmth he first felt rapidly began to chill and roll down the curve of his top derma. It was some sort of liquid, and tried to shake it away, but it accidentally slipped into his oral cavity. The taste immediately disgusted Steve, because he recognized the taste of it right away, and despite how sore he was he rapidly pulled himself up on his knees. He finally discovered he was surrounded by small puddles and trickles of cycled energon and the back of his frame was coated with another drones blood. It was obvious where the energon came from when Antaeus stood above him. The giant flier's metal and mesh was completely soaked from helm to ped in both fresh and dried on energon that was clearly not his own.

"What's the matter Steve?" Antaeus taunted him while he crouched down in front of the shocked grounder. He slid his digit under Steve's jaw line and tenderly stroked his sharp thumb beneath a wavering lip-plate. "You really lucked out after all… None of this is your blood."

Frozen and terrified, Steve sat still while the taller mech leaned over him to whisper into his audio receptor. The venom in Antaeus's vocals dripping down the Vehicon's neck faster and thicker than the cycled energon rolling down his back struts. "However… The next time we meet, I promise you… I will slowly bleed you dry while I defile you for days on end… You… Will… Be mine…"

"Stop loitering over the little thing and let him up." Arachnid returned to the room with an injured drone over her shoulder. In one swift push of her shoulder she threw the lifeless body on the floor beside Steve who gasped through his anxiety filled air vents. "Be a dear and take this to the med-bay on your way out? Tell the doctor he was ambushed by Autobots or something and I will hack his Ground Bridge log use later… And remember, keep that data pad close by, because you may be hearing from me very, very soon."

* * *

"Oh, poor Knockout…" Breakdown sighed to himself in the med-bay while he checked Simon's vitals. "He just fell into recharge before Megatron ordered him to meet in the Communications Bridge. I don't care how much he argues, when this is all over, he is taking the rest of the week off."

The large mech was having a rather quiet evening to himself despite all of the commotion was going on outside. He decided he would do his best to appreciate the calm since he could be called out for a combative mission any minute, and he did so for a collective five minutes. However, right after he cleaned the mesh under the wounded miner's visor, the bay doors rushed open. Two more drones stumbled inside; one was hyperventilating in panic and his companion appeared to be unconscious as he was being carried in a fireman's hold.

"O-Officer Breakdown!" The functioning Vehicon lightly wept as he limped inside. "Please help him! He was ambushed by Autobots!"

Very little time was wasted, and Breakdown jumped into action. At this point it was all too routine considering how active the med-bay was for the past few months. First, pull out a berth, next settle the patient into a comfortable position, then finally assess all of said patient's injuries and repair them to the fullest extent of his own medical abilities. The first two sections of this routine went smoothly until he removed the wounded drones battle visor and immediately recognized the flier.

"Bob?" Breakdown gasped with his yellow optic glowing wide. "How did this happen? He wasn't sanctioned to go to Earth for another two weeks!"

"How did you know that?" The grounder that brought the Eradicon to the med-bay questioned with a heavy breath. A legitimate question since he had no idea the medical assistant even knew the other mech.

"He told me himself!" The worried blue mech struggled to hurriedly close all of the bleeding wounds around Bob's frame. "These wounds are not consistent to an Autobot ambush! There are cuts along his mesh that have healed over and been ripped back open! He was tortured!"

Finding Bob was stabilized for the time being, Breakdown spun around angrily to face down the other drone. "What did you do to—?! Him…?"

The Vehicon stood there shivering and wheezing with his arms crossed over waist defensively. The higher officer could see optical lubricants dribbling out of the base of his visor, but what was most alarming was the small traces of fresh energon streaking down the inside of the timid drone's thigh.

"What happened to you?" Breakdown's words softened and he did his best to make his frame appear smaller than it was. He could see the signs of assault all over the smaller grounder's frame, and he knew he shouldn't come off so threatening. "Were you attacked by the same mech?"

"No!" The Vehicon backed away towards the door, regretting his decision for not running out the door right after delivering Bob to the room. "I-I'm… F-Fine… I should be going—Ah!"

The drone fell, and Breakdown was too late to catch him. His battle visor slid off when his helm hit the ground. It was a combination of exhausted anxiety and the blow to his processor that caused the smaller mech to pass out, and the higher officer was just as surprised to find out the identity of the second mech.

"Steve?" He cradled the Vehicon gently, helping him to sit up right. "Primus this ship is going straight to the Pit… What is going on?" Getting his other arm under Steve's leg struts, he scooped the third unconscious mech up and stood with him bridal in his arms. One look around the room, it occurred to the former Wrecker, that he was out of medical berths to unfold. "By the All-Spark… Where am I going to put you?"

 **-END-**


	16. Chapter 16

Hello everyone! I'm really tired so I'm going to be brief with this intro. First, I want to say thank you to everyone still reading my stories and sticking with me for more than a year. The world is going to hell right now, but you all kept me from falling from heaven. I love ya'll lots! X3

Now, this is a short one, but things have finally come to a head for poor Steve, and Breakdown has some unexpected news for him. Cass makes an appearance in One Shots for the first time, but don't blink. He won't be there for long.

No shout outs this time, but don't let that stop anyone from leaving a review or asking questions. I love to hear from my readers!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 35.2

Things were quiet for a moment. A sweet brief moment that Breakdown took for himself and knelt beside his resting Bondmate. He gently caressed the side of Knockout's helm and watched him in his recharge. There was a still glow about the smaller grounder that reminded Breakdown that this beautiful mech was still his Bearer, and soon their dreams of being creators would become real. He held onto that faith with a firm grip. He still needed to set up that meeting with Megatron about changing the laws, but as he listened to Knockout's wonderful intakes, he thought to himself, _'Primus, I would die for this mech…'_

He inched closer to kiss Knockout on his cheek-plating but was interrupted by the shuffling in the opposite room. He was reminded that he still had patience to attend to, so he tenderly kissed his partner, and carefully walked over to his berth room. Breakdown did feel a little silly having to sneak into his own chambers, but he didn't want to spook his patient. As far as he could tell, Steve had gone through enough trauma as it was. When the former Wrecker made it to the door of the back room, the scuffling noises graduated to light mumbling, then quickly escalated to panicked cries.

"No! N-No please! Not there! Not there!"

"Steve!" Breakdown rushed into the chamber and knelt beside the berth. The Vehicon began to thrash violently so the giant grounder needed to hold Steve down by his shoulders. He knew this would only increase his nightmares by feeling more restrained, but if Breakdown didn't, than his patient would most likely hurt himself if he wasn't held in place. "It's okay Steve! You're in a safe place right now! You're Safe!"

When the distraught drone's struggling began to slow, the tank like grounder released one of Steve's shoulders and placed the large servo over his chassis. Breakdown discovered through experience that covering the spark chamber, and adding a small amount of weight, has a calming effect on an individual in hysterics. So, as he eased his hand downward it appeared to be the right treatment his patient needed. Steve mumbled something inaudible before he sighed, clearly settling back into comfort with shushing whispers lulling over his helm. Minutes went by before the Vehicon's optical slit flickered on.

"Where…? Where am I…?"

"You passed out in the med-bay, but there was no room for you there." Breakdown sat on the edge of his berth and whispered. The hush tones directing the Vehicon to keep his vocals low. "I have brought you to mine and Knockout's personal chambers to rest and… Examine you."

"What?!" Steve shot up into a very defensive seated position. The next thing he noticed was the tray of medical tools on the end of the bed and his angst heightened. Now there was no avoiding the horrible things that have happened to him. Now that Breakdown had confirmed it was real, there was no avoiding it. "Why…? Why did you have to do that? I didn't ask you to…?"

"You were still bleeding Steve." The larger mech sighed, feeling abundantly guilty for adding more stress to the traumatized drone. "I needed to find the source of your injury and seal it. Never mind bleeding out, you could've got an infection in… In such a sensitive area."

Breakdown was speaking sparingly on Steve's behalf. The drone knew this, and he did his best to appear grateful, but he just couldn't stop shaking. He was sad, angry, and above all frustrated, and all of it rose to the surface in one giant tear filled wave. The Vehicon's vocals didn't even hitch and went straight into a bawling fit. He found something to lean against and brace himself. At the time he didn't know he found comfort over his Higher Officer's chassis, but he didn't care. Lucky for Steve, Breakdown was excepting of a reaction like this and he was surprised by his own response. He half hugged the drone in one arm and patted his back sympathetically.

"That's it kid. Go ahead and cry." The former Wrecker huffed in his own guilt. He felt rather ashamed of himself for trying to keep Steve quiet so he wouldn't wake Knockout in the other room. It was out of concern for his mate's well-being, but part of him knew that it was just selfish to ignore his patient's trauma. "Cry as loud and long as you need to… You have been through a horrible ordeal."

"I was hoping it was all just a nightmare! An awful dream that never really happened!" Steve shivered, the memory of Antaeus washing over his processor and pushing him into a rambling fit. "I…! I said stop! Why didn't he stop?! He took…! He took my…!"

"No Steve…" Breakdown didn't mean to smile, but he knew something that his current patient didn't. The blue mech gently pushed on Steve's shoulders, his large digits curling around the wheel wells comfortingly. "Nothing was taken from you. If your referring to your seal… It's still intact."

The quell of shock was so strong that the Vehicon's sobbing ceased to a full halt. Bewilderment cascaded over the faceless features of his battle mask and his air vents froze. He believed his CPU had short circuited because a snow of static clouded his optical visor and hissed around his audios. The digits cupping over his tires gently massaged the curve of his metal. When Steve didn't say anything for the longest time, Breakdown became concerned, and tried to ease the drone back into the present.

"What?" Steve finally took a breath and whispered so softly Breakdown couldn't hear him at first, but he knew he had gotten the smaller mech's attention.

"When I examined you to find the source of your bleeding. Whatever was used to… That was used to penetrate you, missed your seal. You have a puncture wound in your mesh walls. Just below your seal…" Breakdown's hands reached up and cuffed the sides of Steve's helm. With a soft grin he gazed into his patient's optical visor and spoke heavily in compassion. "I was very surprised to see it, but you still have your virginity."

"I… I feel lightheaded…" Understandable that Steve would almost immediately feel exhausted once again. The grief and adrenaline he had to push through was enough to knock any mech off his pedes, so the blue mech eased him back onto the berth and in a small way tuck him in by folding his arms-struts under his chassis.

"It's okay, trooper… Just relax. Recharge a little longer if you must." Breakdown reached up in an attempt to remove Steve's visor. He was a little clumsy with his thick digits, but he had enough practice with plenty of other drones to do it right in his own way. He would've just left it on if Steve hadn't cried so much. If the medical assistant didn't wipe the tears away, his faceplating could rust under the mask. "When you wake up again, there will be a fresh cube of energon waiting for you. Drink it slowly and when you're ready to talk, we will discuss the mech who did this to you and what happened to Bob."

Steve was already out like a light by the time his visor was completely removed. Breakdown's spark broke for the violet mech as he watched thick beads of fluid roll down Steve's prominent cheeks. This poor drone had been through so much, and now he needed to deal with this. The medical assistant knew firsthand what it is like to have next to nothing in your life, and for others to try and take it away. "We will find the mech who did this to you kid… I promise this won't go unpunished."

"Perhaps we should hook him back up to a cordial patch." Knockout surprised his mate from behind, standing over his broad frame and handing him a small rag. "We could find the identity of the assailant and even block the memory of his violation."

"A. If we use a cordial patch on any mech too many times it could permanently damage their processor beyond repair." Breakdown answered while taking the rag rather irritated to see his partner awake. "And B. You should be resting on the pull out. You barely got thirty minutes in."

"I took a chargepak." The color in the former Wrecker's face paled in panic, but Knockout quickly defended his decision and grazed his silver digits behind Breakdown's helm. "It is a one-off my love, I promise. With everything going on we both need to be alert right now."

"You could have hurt yourself." The larger mech huffed. "Chargepaks are spark enhancers meant for bots in the mists of spark failure. Using such an enhancer to charge your energy stock is too dangerous… And it's not just your health I'm concerned about." Breakdown finished patting down Steve's faceplate before he turned to his side. He placed his servo over Knockout's abdominal plating, compelling the red mech to sigh and kissed the top of the saddened giant's forehelm. Knockout positioned himself to sit in his mate's lap and cradled his helm in the crook of Breakdown's armor.

"One of the very few perks of a dormitory conception is that your connection to the sparkling is completely cut off… Physically and emotionally." Lip-plates began to graze the top of the blue mech's armor and before a protest could be thought of, Knockout sat up so he could gently kiss Breakdown's face. Light pecks grazed over his dermas before trailing around his cheek plating. "Let's go into the other room." Knockout suggested sheepishly, still feeling groggy despite his recent self-treatment. "I don't care if we interface or not, I just want to be close to you right now… I just have a feeling scrap is really going to hit the fan soon… And I just want to be in your arms as long as possible right now."

"Oh my love…" Breakdown surrendered without a fight. "If you promise to try and recharge, I will hold you even if Megatron orders for my presence."

"I promise…" A ghostly whisper made the larger grounder shudder. The sound of vulnerability in Knockout's vocals was both alluring and disheartening. The sports car did giggle slightly when his assistant suddenly stood and spun his beautiful mate. A little make out session for five minutes couldn't really hurt them for time, and even Breakdown needed a break from reality every now and again.

"I love you…" He bit the words gently into Knockout's neck, making the gorgeous red model swoon.

"I love you so much…" The medic's reply was cut off by the berth room doors closing behind them, and leaving a seemingly unconscious Steve alone… Seemingly.

"I knew it…" The drone whimpered and sat up in the berth. "I knew they were hiding something… Why? Why me?"

Answers to these questions would have to wait. To his added dismay he felt something gently buzz in his subspace. The blackout datapad was the only thing he had stored in there that could vibrate, which meant that Arachnid's plan was ready to be put into action.

"Oh-no…" He slowly took the device from its storage. "Too soon… This is too soon…"

With an unstable servo, Steve read the information that practically flew over the screen. He did his best to ease his shaking so he could properly view the instructions. He glanced at the door worriedly from time to time, making sure the crazy medical duo didn't change their minds and come back into the room to check on him. From what Steve could gather from his stressful reading, the plan was simple and straight-forward. It was meant to be a secretive package drop. Details concluded the usual orders related to a drop-off. He was given a time, date, location, and a place to find the materials to pull such a job off. It appeared to be relatively easy; in and out. The only thing he was waiting for was the targeted object.

"What?" The screen suddenly blacked out and nothing he did could turn it back on. There were no buttons he could push, or switches he could flip, and he even tried patting the base. The drone was becoming frustrated enough to smash the damn datapad, when he heard someone approaching the door. Quickly, he tucked the devise under his frame and rested back onto the berth. Breakdown was in the room moments later, holding a tray with an energon cube on it. At least, that's what it sounded like since Steve had closed his optics and again pretended to be in recharge. He listened as the gentle giant set the tray on the stand beside him, the rattling of glass against thin metal making him flinch. He could feel Breakdown's optic on him after that, but Steve went back to lying still, hoping his mistake would go unnoticed.

"Did I wake you Steve?" The medical assistant whispered in sympathy, but the Vehicon remained motionless. "Phew, good. You just keep resting."

"Breakdown, Soundwave just comm linked me." Knockout called quietly from the door frame. "He says Arachnid is up to something, and Megatron has left the ship again. He's asked for both of us to join him on the main bridge to back him up if needed."

"I will go. You stay and recharge."

"Don't be ridiculous. Soundwave called for both of us." Ped steps strode over to the floor. Steve took note of how shallow they were and felt a little sad for weak grounder. "Besides, I really don't want to leave your side right now. I don't know why I feel this way… I just know that I want to be near you. Okay?"

"I'm actually not okay with it," his mate admitted, "but I have never been able to stop you when you've made up your mind before. I don't see myself stopping you now."

"And don't you forget it."

That was the final thing Steve heard before the door closed behind the duo. A soft chuckle echoed almost in silence as they walked further and further away, until Steve finally felt safe enough to sit up. He slid his leg struts off the side and grabbed the blackout pad from behind him. The datapad must have some kind of proximity detector, the violet mech theorized. If anyone other than the bot holding it at the time came within a certain distance, the datapad would shut down.

Steve waited a minute with it idle in his servo before he reached over to take the cube on the stand. May as well not waste the fuel if it was given to him. There was a chance he wouldn't be able to finish since he had refueled a couple of days earlier. His frame wasn't really accustomed to getting so much nourishment in such a short period of time. In fact, the cube Caspian had offered him was almost too much for him, but he just couldn't resist the sweet mineral he was also allowed to have. Such a kind young model, Steve revealed to himself. A shame that he became so caught up in the higher officer's world, and with Megatron no less, but at least he was being well cared for.

"Ah!" The grounder gasped when the screen lit up a second time, surprising him so much that some energon dribbled down his chin. "Ugh… It's starting over? Someone could walk in on me with this thing any minute now. Even with a proximity detector built into it, it still seems like a design flaw—."

The last piece of the plan finally scrolled over his line of sight and it angered him so much Steve hurled the datapad across the room. The monitor shattered against the wall and crackled in static before completely deactivating and losing its charge.

"No…" His rage was climbing higher and stronger by the minute. "No, no, no, no… Just… No! They can't ask me to do that! I can't do that! I—!"

" _Steve!"_ Starscream's voice interrupted his building rage. Another vision of the seeker peering through the vail of Steve's very fragile mind. _"I need you Steve! I need you now! Oh Steve!"_

"Stop!" The horrified drone cried as he clutched his helm and fell to his knees. "Stop haunting me! Are you a memory?! Are you a specter?! Or am I just losing my mind?!"

" _Steve…"_ A servo suddenly glided over his shoulder. It was a warm and tender comfort that, although he knew was an illusion, calmed him in a near instant. _"Stay here Steve… With me…? I don't feel like being alone tonight… Stay with me as long as you want…"_

"Forever…" Steve wept in his hands. Large droplets of tears slipped through his digits and he reached out in an attempt to hold the phantom before him. But once again Starscream disappeared before he could be touched. "I wish to stay with you forever… I wish to be with you forever despite this madness that washes over me every time I think of you. I love you…"

Finding a grip on himself, the grounder stood and cleaned up the mess he made; leaving no trace of anything belonging to him behind in the room. So, when he was satisfied with his cleansing, Steve finished half the energon and left.

"And if I need to commit a sin to find you… So be it."

* * *

"Megatron?" Cass had been awoken by his comm links. He rubbed his optics from his constant tiredness and smiled through a light yawn. The voice of his lover become a very welcomed sound after not being near him long enough to hear it. The signal was weak, but Megatron's voice managed to reach the carrying mech's audios, but something didn't seem right. He somehow seemed upset and even under duress. "Is everything all right M' Lord? You sound so tired."

 _"Yes my treasure… I… I am alright."_ The static showered over their connection, but it did nothing to mask the apprehension. _"I just wanted to hear your voice… I know I promised I'd be back as soon as possible, but it appears my duties have been extended."_

More static hissed as Cass crawled off the berth and walked to the opposite side of the room. He was barely a yard away from the door before the young model became worried. Something was off, and he just didn't understand why Megatron was trying to call him like this. "Megatron? Why are you speaking to me like this will be the last time I hear from you? You are coming back to me, right?"

The hissing and the crackling grew louder and louder. Wherever the warlord was trying to communicate from must have either weak signal blockers or he was somewhere deep, deep underground. The little drone held his intakes and stroked his plating, waiting to hear from his Bondmate-to-be again. The message he received was not what he expected to hear at all.

 _"I love you… And I love our little one… Take care of Mercy…"_

"Megatron?! Megatron?!" Silence was a hollow void that was frightening beyond merit. Something was amiss and Cass was not going to be kept in the dark about it. He switched his comm links over to his Commander, but his connection was blocked off. With all the commotion that was going on around the ship it wasn't much of a surprise, but Cass needed to either speak with him directly or find his way down to the Communications Bridge and do research himself. He threw the berth room doors open and, in his haste, Cass nearly ran into something… Which turned out to be a certain someone.

"What?!" The smaller drone gasped. "You?! What are you doing here?! How did you—?! Ah!" A cloud of foreign mist was sprayed in his face, and when Cass tried to in-hale he felt his intakes burn. The room began to spin as he coughed and choked on every attempt to breathe. All of the strength in his legs drained from him instantly and he knew eventually he was going to fall. Still conscious enough to realize he was about to lose control of everything, Cass sprinted back to the berth as quickly as he could. He landed partially on his side and back in an attempt to protect his sparkling from any impact. Then he curled into a ball as tightly as he could.

" _Cough! Cough!"_ He shivered and cradled his torso defensively and as he felt the other mech's pedes move closer to him, he did his best to kick his leg struts and push his assailant away. "No…! _Cough!_ N-No…! Stay away…! Don't hurt me…! D-Don't hurt my Sparkling…!"

"Shhhh…" The back of a servo brushed over the side of Cass's helm eerily slow and gentle. He made his victim tremble in disgust, but the more the vulnerable Vehicon tensed, the faster he grew tired. "Just relax and do as you are told little one, and I promise no harm will come to you."

More strokes grazed his helm and the more Cass struggled against the drug, the weaker his hold on the waking world became. His face ignited in a bright flush of blue, and his eyes hazed from a collection of pooling tears. "Please…" He pleaded once more. Just one more plea to invoke some kind of empathy, but he would never know if his words hit ground with his attacker. Or at least he wouldn't know until he opened his optics again.

 **-END-**


End file.
